Beyond The Lens

The Effects of Stopping a Mugger

A/N:
Released on July 28, 2018

Sorry for this chapter being put up so late at night... The day just flew by. It might've been bc I didn't get out of bed until 3pm. Whoops.

Anyway, I can't seem to stop writing long chapters. The chapter was actually over 3000 words, but I split it so you'll have to wait until next week for the rest!

Word Count: 2848

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Chapter 19: The Effects of Stopping a Mugger

I shake off my conflicting thoughts and force myself to focus on Holland's latest questions as I drive her home from the park.

"Are there other symptoms?" She asks a bit spontaneously, seeing as I was stuck in my own head and she hadn't spoken when I pulled out of the parking lot.

"What?" I blurt out, glancing at her briefly while trying to keep my attention on the road.

"Earlier you said you would tell me the symptoms I'll be facing. Aren't there others?" She elaborates with raised eyebrows, having clearly noticed my spaced out moment.

"Um... yeah." I mumble, recalling what I had to go through. What I'm still going through because I was only turned around a week ago.

"Next should be your heightened senses kicking in. All five of your senses will kind of go crazy, like someone turned up the dial of your life. If you hear a bunch of drum like sounds, it's people's heartbeats or footsteps." I tell her in a rush, remembering how high my stress shoots up when it happens to me.

Laughter fills my ears, causing me to snap my eyes over to Holland, thinking that she's making fun of me.

But she gazes at me with raised eyebrows, unsure of why I'm squinting at her like I'm angry.

"Watch the road." She orders. I quickly shift my hazel eyes back to the road, realizing my mistake.

I heard one of the kids at the park as we drove past. How could I forget about my super hearing while I'm telling Holland about it?

I guess I've had an overly tiring day and need to go home to get some rest.

"What's wrong?" She inquires, asking what I knew she would.

"Sorry... I just thought I heard something." I mutter unapologetically, trying to get myself to pay attention to driving and not freak out over everything that has happened today.

"For now, I don't have any other symptoms to warn you about." I tell Holland outright, accidentally phrasing my sentence to perfectly lead her to the next part of this investigation of sorts.

"For now? You mean, you don't know everything about being a werewolf like you've been acting?" She narrows her eyes playfully at me, knowing that she's stomping all over my ego in a muddy pair of boots.

"I'm just trying to help you." I reply through a sigh. "I never said I'm an expert in the field."

Holland nods her head in acknowledgment as she turns her head to look out the window. "Yes, but you didn't hesitate to show off like a know it all."

I grip the steering wheel tighter and squirm in my seat slightly to get more comfortable. "Yeah well... I don't know it all. That's why I have to start training with Phil soon."

I'm relieved to see the turn onto her street coming up. She won't be able to question me around her parents.

And I'm definitely jumping out of the car as soon as we park so she can't prolong our conversation.