The Monsters In Hiding

Dead in the front Yard

Not many times in my life have I found myself in a moment of fear. Coming home late to the smell of blood... wasn't one of those few times. In fact, it was quite the norm. Growing up in a family of carnivorous wolves, made the smell of blood an everyday thing. In fact it was quite mouth watering, obviously due to my own carnivorous side.

Which is why from a young age I had been taught discipline and control. Being a werewolf without those two things would make it hard to keep the secret a secret. However when I was younger, I didn't have the amazing control of myself that I do now. So when I first started going to school my mom and dad had always told me that as soon as school was done I were to come straight home. I remember how hard it was to be around kids that I could devour in a second. And to be honest I almost did a couple times.

The other hard part about being around those kids was that I didn't see them as fellow students, but as cattle. And the fact that humans are the meat we crave the most didn't help one bit. My determination to not be found out is what made it possible for me to make it through Elementary School with only a few minor bumps along the way.

This is the reason why I usually don't stay after school. It's also why I was nervous about coming home that late, I didn't want my mom and dad to think something bad happened.

So there I was. The smell of blood lingard in the air as I walked up the gravel path that lead to my house. The closer I got the stronger it became, until slowly another scent made contact with my nose.

Rotting flesh.

Now that. That wasn't as normal a smell. The meat we ate together as a family was always fresh, either hunted that day, or bought at the grocery store, and we had a refrigerator room in the house. So there was no reason why that smell should be coming from my house.

As that thought flashed threw my head, I began to run faster down the gravel path. When the tall building came into view nothing looked out of the ordinary, and now that I was closer I could tell the smell of rotting flesh was not coming from my house.

After a few seconds of standing there with what I assumed to be a pensive look on my face, movement caught my attention away from the dark building and towards my sister Viv who was standing at the edge of the forest. (which my house was conveniently located next to, with no fence to separate the two.) Suprised at the fact I didnt know she was standing there the entire time made me freeze for a second. I continued to stare at her for a few more moments and relized she was staring down at something with a confused and slightly disgusted look on her face.

I began to run as fast as I could towards her and when I finally reached her she turned her head to look at me. Viv then raised her hand so I'd look at it and slowly began to point down at something. My gaze trailed down her arm and to where she was pointing. Of course I knew it would be the source of the decaying flesh I smelled earlier, but I wasn't expecting the gruesome scene right in front of me.

A mangled human body, with blood smeared across most of her. It's legs were twisted in unnatural ways, and the side of her head was smashed in. Her eyes were sunken and dark, they were still open and a little bloodshot. Bugs had already got to the body because of the open wounds. Even threw all the blood and gore I could tell the person had not been dead like this for long.

I looked at Viv and gave her a 'what the heck' kinda look. She turned to me and after seeing my face said "Wait no! I didn't do it, it was just here! Mom told me to go check it out cause we could all smell it, so I did."

"Well if you didn't do it who did?" I asked, turning back to the body. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Viv also glance at the body, "I don't know... but doesn't she look a little familiar?"

Her words turned my attention to the dead woman's face. As I studied it, I relized her body was kinda buff as well. Sudden realization smacked me in the face, "Oh my gosh! It's the woman who was on the news today! Her boyfriend was killed last night by the vampire you let get away." I slightly yelled, wile also poking fun at my sister.

Viv glared at me with her pale blue eyes and smacked my arm before saying "We watched that news cast in class today. If we turn this over to the police, would they suspect us?"

I rubbed my forehead in thought before making a wierd strangling sound of frustration "I don't know. But Mom and dad probably would." I snatched Viv's hand and dragged her to the house before letting her say anything. I pushed the front door open and asked the closest sibling where mom was.

"She's in the library." Fiona said sorta confused. I rushed across the room and opened the door to the library, with Vivian following close behind.

It wasn't hard to spot mom since she was the only other person in the room. She was holding a box of books and placing them on the bookshelf. I could tell she knew we were in the room but was waiting to see what we'd do.

As we made our way over to her, she turned around and put the box filled with books on a small round table to her right. "Ah Gwen, your home later then usual." Mom said as she gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. When she pulled away she brought her arm up to take a glance at her white and gold colored watch. After a second or two of staring at the time and then stealing a glance at the window, she looked back up at me with a small smile on her face.

"Really late actually." She corrected herself. I stood there ready to explain before I saw her smile turn from sweet to mischievous. Aw yes, the childish side of my mom. One of the best and worst things about her come from how quickly she can switch between amazingly elegant and proper... to a free spirited 12 year old.

"Who's the guy?" She teased. I realed back and quickly looked at Viv to see a horrified look on her face. Oh ya, Viv had always been weirdly defiant on romance. She absolutely abhorred it.

Viv stepped forward, wrapped her arms around me protectively and peered over her shoulder at Mom, "Mom! It was her first day at a new school. Gwen could never get close to a guy that fast!" And then added "...no offence." While looking up at me.

Mom tried to stop herself  from laughing but failed miserably. I deadpanned and pulled my little sister off of me. "Thanks a bunch Viv." I said sarcastically, while turning away from her while a sour expression made its way onto my face. I could hear Viv snicker next to me, obviously not regretting her statement.

I turned to mom and called her name a couple times to get her to stop laughing and turn her attention to me. "First of all mom I wasn't with a boy, I was with..." I paused for a moment to find the right word, "uhh, new acquaintances? But thats not what we came to discuss, we came in here to tell you something else."

Mom straitened up and put a semi serious face on. "Oh, this is about the rotting flesh outside, isn't it."

Viv answered first "Yah, except it's a violently torn apart human body and not a random dead animal."

"We didn't know weather we should call this in or not, So we're asking you first." I added on. Mom looked down at her feet in contemplation, with folded arms and a hand resting under her chin.

"I could tell it was human flesh but I didn't think it would be an entire body.... You said it was torn apart?" Mom asked, directing the question towards Viv.

"Uh yah." She answered quickly. Mom then nodded towards us and said "ok sure, go call the cops." She then stood up and made her way towards the boxes with books. "oh and make sure your fear sounds real."

"Pfft, of couse we will." I said back before Viv and I walked out of the room, closing the double doors behind us. I then proceeded to walk out of the house and into the front yard where the body was. I glanced down at my phone and took note of what time it was "It would be suspicious if we said the exact time we found the body at. So when or if they ask just say 'about a minute or so after we saw the body.' Cause you know... we were so shocked and scared, after what we've seen. It took a second to get over our shock."

Viv gave a thumbs up and smiled before contorting her face into one of horror and fear, mainly to show me she could handle it. I gave a thumbs up back and dialed 911, making sure to get into character before they answered.

As soon as I heard a click from the other end I started breathing quickly, "911 what's your emergency?" The operator said rather urgently after hearing the sound my breathing.

"M-my sister and I found a dead body in our front yard!"