Monsters

The Call To The Wild

When Kenzie got home, she wiped away a tear from her eyes. Why didn't she belong anywhere? She wasn't a zombies, she was barely even felt like a cheerleader anymore. She made herself a cup of hot chocolate, with an abundance of marshmallows. She opened her chemistry textbook to start on the questions. She didn't understand the first question. Shed tried to move onto the next one, but she didn't understand that one either. She glanced over the rest of the homework and felt completely overwhelmed. She obviously didn't fit in with the top-students either. She pulled out her phone and texted Lauren for help. Lauren didn't respond right away, maybe she was out having fun with the cheerleaders, where she obviously felt like she belonged. She grabbed a book and walked into eh living room to read in the meantime. Just as she sat down, there was a noise outside. "Johnny?" She questioned into the air. That same noise again. She walked to the front door, and cautiously opened it. She saw nothing, but as she turned  to go back inside, she saw claw marks on the door. She hastily put her cup down and spun around to see the werewolves standing in perfect formation just a few feet away from her. "Come with us" Devenity said, keeping a straight face, and solemn eyes. "What's so important?" Kenzie asked. Issak and Devenity shared a look. "You are." He answered. Kenzie felt a rush of anxiety run down her body, but also a jolt of excitement, maybe she could find out where she belonged, the wolves were the only ones who seemed to think she was so important, and so she followed them without hesitation, closing the door quietly behind her, leaving her mug steaming in the brisk, dusk air.

Kenzie tried not to wince as she saw the "Forbidden Forest. Keep Out" sign, but she supposed it  was forbidden for this very reason. The wolves. After walking for about 20 minutes into the forest, they came to a clearing, and they all stopped walking. "Where are we going?" Kenzie asked. "It's a wolf secret. If we told you, we'd have to kill you." Jenna said. Devenity gave her a look. "Too much?" Jenna asked, earnestly seeking guidance from her. "We don't want to scare her away, Jenna." Issak told her. "But we'd probably be better off we did." Devenity growled. Jenna looked a little bit worried, yet she still spoke kindly. "Welcome to the wolf den!" She said, before stealing a look at Devenity's disapproving face. "But not too welcome!" She added after being scared back by Devenity. Devenity shook her head. Jenna growled to show she was serious, her eyes lighting up the darkness, but not for m ore than a few seconds before she started coughing, and losing strength to stand. Devenity rushed over to her. "Are you okay? Kenzie asked. "My necklace is losing its power." Jenna said. "Everyday, more and more of our pack gets sick, because we don't know where the moonstone is." Devenity said, sounding angry. "That's why we need you to lead us to it." Issak said. Devenity gave him a look before leading the rest of the pack inside. "Don't mind her." Issak whispered to Kenzie before walking in behind her. As they walked in, Kenzie saw a bunch more werewolves, most of them a lot younger. They all looked at her with defensive expressions. Issak howled, and then explained that he was saying hello to her in the wolf language. Kenzie tried to copy him, but apparently she ended up saying "popcorn unicorns", or something like that. Issak howled once more. "Is what I think Kenzie meant." He explained. "Here, let me try again." Kenzie said before trying a different pitched howl. "Woah, Kenzie watch your language there are were-pups around." Issak teased. "She needs to put a pebble in the swear-wolf jar." Jenna said. Kenzie looked back at Issak with frightened eyes. "I am so sorry." She tried to tell him. "Enough!" Devenity said. "This is not why we brought her here, although seeing as she can't even say "hello" properly, your hopes are too high." She said to Issak, as he went to grab something. "Why did you bring me here?" She asked him. Issak lifted a crystal-like ball up to the light that came down from the moon, shining through the hole at the top of the cave. The light flowed through the stone, and it projected a moving image onto the walls of the cave. A figure, dancing around, howling, who had the same white-coloured hair as her. "I believe that you will lead us to the lost moonstone, I believe you're the Great Alpha. I believe..." Issak looked down and took Kenzie's hands into his own. "I believe that you're a werewolf. Just like me." He said. "Nice try, Issak but even if she was, the Great Alpha is nothing like us, a completely different type of werewolf than us. Look at the hair for starters." Devenity cut in. "Well she's still a werewolf." Issak tried to say. Devenity stared down at their hands, still connected. "Fine then, if you're really a wolf, then you'll have to prove it." She challenged. Kenzie turned to face her. Devenity howled, as did a group of wolves behind her. Kenzie tried to put on her best brave face, and howled as best she could. Apparently, she had supporters, since there was an eruption of other wolves' howls behind her. The most distinct one, being Issak of course. They continued howling until Devenity seemed satisfied with the volume and pronunciation of Kenzie and her group's efforts. The wolves formed a circle, and lifted Kenzie up, so that she was standing on an array of their hands. She fell back, and emerged once more, in clothes like the werewolves, her hair done in the same style, and looking suspiciously like the projection she had witnessed just a few minutes earlier. They howled, and danced around, having so much fun, until Kenzie heard a roar behind her. She turned around to see Johnny running into from the opening to the cave, with Annie, Lauren and Gus hiding behind the rock wall. Johnny ran over to Kenzie, throwing himself in front of her. "Don't make me take this off." He said, motioning to his Z-band. "You don't wanna see me zombie-out." Some of the wolves growled at Johnny, angry at him for threating them. "That's it!" Johnny said as he smashed his wrist against his knee, making the Z-band fall to the ground. Dark, red vines formed on his arms and neck, and his eyes grew darker. He shook his head and roared. As few of the wolves jumped on him, but he threw them off easily. "Johnny!" Kenzie yelled as she scrambled to get the stranded Z-band, that lay in the dirt. She quickly grabbed it and spun around to connect it with his wrist. She held it there for a moment, hoping it would work. She felt him stop struggling, and let go of him. "Johnny, I want to be here." She told him. "But you texted me for help!" Lauren exclaimed, cautiously stepping out from behind the wall. "I needed help on the chemistry homework, didn't you see the beaker emoji?" Kenzie asked her. Lauren looked back down at her phone. "Oh... I do now." She admitted. "They think I might be a werewolf." Kenzie said, turning back to Johnny. "What?" He asked, sounding a little upset. "How?" "Maybe a grandparent or something... my hair means something!" Kenzie tried to explain. Issak took the stone and showed them the projection again. "That could be anyone." Johnny tried to tell them. "Not anyone we've ever seen. Kenzie is the only one who has this hair, and actually, now that she's dressed like a werewolf..." Issak was cut of but a shaking in the ground. Everyone scrambled up the observation deck, and looked out over the city. "The explosion came from Seabrook power. They're probably testing for the demolition tomorrow." Annie speculated. "Ah, the birth place of Zombies. A little lime soda mixed with a mysterious energy source and BAMM! Zombies." Johnny explained, scaring Jenna a little. She growled back at him, her eyes glowing. She coughed after glow faded. "Nice story but it doesn't concern us." Devenity brushed him off. "But, wait a moment. Johnny, you said that Zombies were created by lime soda and a mysterious energy source, that's it! Seabrook Power was always said to have been powered by mysterious energy source, what if that's the moonstone?" Kenzie suggested. Issak and Devenity shared a look. "She found it, she found the moonstone. She's amazing." Issak said. Devenity crosses her arms. "Maybe." she paused. "All right, all right I'll get it." she said after staring at Issak for a moment. She returned back with a small box in her hand. "For centuries this has been set aside for the Great Alpha. If you really are the Great Alpha, then once you put it on, you'll become a real werewolf, part of our pack... forever." She explained. "What? No!" Johnny protested. Kenzie hesitated. She wanted to take it just because of her anger towards Johnny, but she also knew that he was partially right, it was a big decision. "Can I think about it?" she asked. Devenity turned angrily to Issak, who nodded gracefully. Devenity scowled. "For a day." She said before allowing Kenzie to take it. "Once you put it on, you can lead us to the moonstone." Isaak said. "Don't get your hopes up." Devenity growled back at him.

On the way out of the Forbidden Forest, Annie grabbed Johnny's arm. "Johnny, why were so afraid to let Kenzie put the necklace on, you know it would only work if she really is that... Great Alpha thingy, and if you don't think she's a wolf then..." She stopped talking as she looked up at his sad eyes. "I don't think she's a wolf, but there's still that possibility that I'm wrong, and then..." "And then what?" She asked. "And then I'll lose her. She'll run off with the wolves and probably end up with that Issak guy-" "Woah, woah, woah. John, Kenzie would never leave you. You know that the only reason she didn't put it on right then and there is because she was thinking about you." Annie told him. "What about her life as a cheerleader?" He asked. Annie rolled her eyes. "Ugh! Do you pay attention to anything? She doesn't even know if she wants to be a cheerleader anymore and..." Annie paused and sighed. "Why I am explaining this to you again? Go talk to her yourself. I've got to get to bed." She said before jogging ahead, and then leaving Johnny to sneak back into Zombietown on his own.