A High School Werewolf

Chapter 7-The First Time Being Called Sarah

Guilt tortured Sarah from the moment she had regained her memories, but when she heard the rumble of a car engine and saw her best friend exit, she shook off the chains of despair and ran towards Taylor. Taylor had enough time to wonder, "What the-" before Sarah leapt up licking her face causing Taylor to stumble backwards and almost fall. Then Taylor started freaking out, "OMG! OMG! Amy and Bryan actually did it. They actually tamed a werewolf. You must be Snowy!" Sarah nodded having landed back on four paws. "Wait you can understand me?" Another nod. "So, you're not just an animal?" Nod. "This is ground breaking. You can tell us all about being a werewolf." Doubt flashed across Sarah's feature's and Taylor's excitement lessened, "Except, you can't actually talk, so we would have to guess. There has to be someway to communicate with you." All the commotion had attracted Auntie, Amy, and Bryan. Their sullen expression drained all the excitement from Taylor and guilt re-attacked Sarah. Taylor stuttered, "What the heck happened?"

Amy spoke up after an awkward silence, "Snowy killed some people. She's the only one who knows the full story," sobs racked Amy's frame as she attempted to explain what happened to her friend.

"Shhh. It's going to be ok, Amy. You don't have to tell me until you're ready. Let's go inside." Taylor shot an angry glare towards Sarah all friendliness gone as she led her friend inside followed by the others. Sarah met Taylor's glare only for a moment before lowering her head and turning away in shame. She ran away, a coward's move. Her paws carried her on a path she had run many times with Amy and Bryan, as her mind battled with itself. All I wanted to do was protect my friends, my pack, but all I did was hurt them. She skidded to a halt when a very angry Uncle charged her, all 6' 7'' of packed muscle. Her human shame and guilt took over her ego and wolf instinct to fight back.

She cowered as uncle spat, "YOU FILTHY MUTT! I KNEW THAT YOU WERE NO GOOD! GET OUT! GO AWAY AND STAY AWAY FROM MY FAMILY!" His voiced dropped to a menacing growl more terrifying than the screaming, "I will never let you hurt my family again. If I see hide or hair of you, no one will ever see you in one piece again." Sarah turned tail and ran away, tail between her legs.

Sarah was hurt. Not from Uncle's harsh words, they were nothing that she hadn't told herself, but from guilt. As a human she knew how to deal with guilt, but she wasn't a human, she was a wolf, and her wolf instincts were stronger than her human emotions. I am nothing more than an animal. Uncle was right to send me away. All I did was hurt them. I killed in front of them. I am a horrible person... no not a person a wolf. I am nothing more than a wolf. I am just an animal who thinks it is a human. I may have been human once, but I'm not any more. Sarah's human side cowered as her wolf side rose too the top. She allowed instinct to rule like right after the dance, except the pain she felt now didn't come from outside. It came from within.

A large brown wolf prowled in the forests unusually close to the town, but still quite a hike away. Despite her proximity to the human population, the only human nearby was a small girl wearing glasses and crouching looking at something on the ground. The wolf stalked closer to her prey, the girl. The wolf was tired of eating small game and yearned for something bigger, but without a pack, she could not hunt for larger prey. This girl was the exception. The wolf had been tracking her and it appeared that she could not run very far or fast. Besides she was human. Humans were so inferior it was laughable. Why had this one dared to enter her territory. Oh well, snack time for her, but just as she prepared to leap at the girl she turned, and the wolf saw her face. A dormant voice in the wolf's, no werewolf's, head pushed down the wolf's predatorial instincts. Sarah, she was Sarah not just some random predator, and she was not going to hurt her best friend, Taylor. Or, she wouldn't hurt Taylor, she doubted that they were still friends. Taylor surprised Sarah by tackling her in a hug.

Her excitement bubbled over as she blurted, "I'm so happy to see you Snowy!"

Why are you calling me Snowy? My name is Sarah. Oh, wait, duh. Snowy is what Bryan named me.

"We were so worried about you when you didn't come back."

But I ruined your lives. I killed in front of you. I hurt you.

"Sure, we were upset, but Amy figures that you were just trying to protect them."

Yeah, but I acted to quickly without thinking. They probably didn't deserve to die.

"They probably deserved to die anyway."

What! No! How can you say that?

"No that I look at you closer, you seem vaguely familiar."

Damn! I which I could speak.

"Did you always have that scar?"

Which scar, I have a lot?

"That one, there on your muzzle."

Hey, she actually answered my question. Is she a mind-reader?

"The one that reminds me of Sarah's that she had on her face.... and, in that exact place. Sarah! Is that you?"

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! She nodded her head vigorously. Taylor strengthened her grip on Sarah, hugging her tighter and sobbing into her coat, "I thought we lost you. I was so scared that you would never come back, or worse that you would, but you would try to kill us. Amy was so heartbroken she went on a training spree, just like you used to. She swore she would never leave one of her friends hanging again. Only her brother and I could get her to stop and relax. We told her that you might still be alive and okay, but we didn't really believe it." Sarah didn't know how to comfort her, so she settled for resting her head on her friend's shoulder. Taylor looked up with tear-stained eyes, "Come on, let's go home." Sarah turned towards the farm, but Taylor laughed, "No silly, my home."

The two walked along the trail, and Taylor broke the silence, "I can't wait to tell Amy, she'll be so happy."

Sarah shook her head, no. No, you can't tell her. She'll hate me. She said that if I'm a werewolf I'm not her friend.

Shocked Taylor looked at Sarah, "Why not?"

Ugh, I wish I could talk.

"Right, sorry silly question. But, I've been thinking you can't communicate using any written or spoken language, but Morse Code requires neither, you can tap your paw or bark to communicate."

Genius. Except, I don't know Morse Code.

"Of course, I will have to teach you Morse code, but after that you can talk to us, and explain what it's like to be a werewolf."

Ok, all I have to do is learn another language, well not quite a language, but still, it's Morse Code.

"I wonder if you can turn back into a human. Can you?"

I don't know. And if so I don't know how.

"You didn't nod or shake your head, so I assume you don't know."

Right. You're really smart Taylor.

The rest of the walk passed in companionable science. Taylor waved goodbye as she entered her house for the night, and Sarah curled up outside, her guilt lessened because her friend forgave her. Taylor didn't hate her, She wasn't alone anymore.