people weren’t going to be happy about the state of their car, he thought, as he was loosening the last nut.
He was back at the jack, raising the car the rest of the way, when he heard the wolf howl. Three quick pumps and the tire was off the ground. She would find him soon. He moved to the side of the car, no longer conscious of his tired and whipped body, and pulled the flat off and set it aside. The wolf howled again, but instead of filling him with fear, the piercing animal scream fused him with new energy. It would wake the whole town, he thought, as the wolf cried again, closer.
He picked up the spare and was bending to fit it in place, kneeling in the wet, when he heard the wolf growl. Fast, well trained reflexes commanded him to stand, turn and face the enemy. He had no weapon save the tire, which he clutched in front of himself with a double fisted grip, like a heavy shield.
The enraged animal came at him for the kill. She leapt from fifteen feet away, turning herself into an airborne missile, deadly as any that ever rained from a warplane. Jaws gaping, she collided with the tire’s metal rim. The force of the attack sent him reeling. The wolf flew over him as he fell. He rolled away from the beast, toward the car, grabbing onto the tire iron. He would not surprise her again. If he waited for her to attack, he would be a dead man.
He pushed himself off of the wet pavement, raised the tire iron over his head, and charged the wolf as she turned to face him. She growled, but it was cut short as he swung the tire iron across her right foreleg. She howled as the leg broke. The fight was over. She growled at him defiantly, then hobbled away. He stood back as the wolf was engulfed in fire and watched again as flame shot upward, through the fog and into the night.
He turned back toward the car, wondering if he could get the tire changed before she came back. He stooped, picked up the tire and rolled it to the car. He knelt in the puddle, but his adrenaline stopped pumping almost as quickly as it had started and he was covered in pain. He dropped from his knees onto his ass in the muddy water, caught a few seconds of rest, and started to plan.
Chapter Five
Cold shivered through the room and the radio on Carolina’s dresser came on by itself, filling the air with the mono music of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band asking their audience to enjoy the show. The volume cranked itself up to full blast by the time they told the audience to sit back and let the evening go.
The Beatles were only a few words into the chorus, when Arty came to the conclusion that the two pinpoints of red light were eyes staring into the room and they meant to do Carolina harm. He was starting to rise even before they faded.
“ Get down!” He dove across the bed, landing on her before the band had a chance to introduce the one and only Billy Shears. Without a thought of his own safety, he put himself between whatever was staring in the window and Carolina’s small body.
The ferret screamed its baby wail and Arty screamed as he felt the furry animal scoot between himself and Carolina. But he didn’t let go.
Three great explosions ripped the night and the Tiffany lamp by the dresser exploded, showering purple and blue glass shards down on Carolina’s dresser.
Arty screamed again as a searing slice of heat ran along his back, sending him rolling off the bed. He kept his arms vice-tight around Carolina, taking her and the ferret with him to the floor. His chest banged into hers when they landed, causing the whoosh of air rushing from their lungs to meet midway between their lips, just before they banged heads.
They both gasped, seeking air, but he didn’t let go. They took in small, quick breaths. The ferret shifted and Arty, not used to it, yelled—but the sound of his terror was covered by a howling wail that tore through the neighborhood, sending a shock to Arty’s ears that made him forget about the fear and the
He was back at the jack, raising the car the rest of the way, when he heard the wolf howl. Three quick pumps and the tire was off the ground. She would find him soon. He moved to the side of the car, no longer conscious of his tired and whipped body, and pulled the flat off and set it aside. The wolf howled again, but instead of filling him with fear, the piercing animal scream fused him with new energy. It would wake the whole town, he thought, as the wolf cried again, closer.
He picked up the spare and was bending to fit it in place, kneeling in the wet, when he heard the wolf growl. Fast, well trained reflexes commanded him to stand, turn and face the enemy. He had no weapon save the tire, which he clutched in front of himself with a double fisted grip, like a heavy shield.
The enraged animal came at him for the kill. She leapt from fifteen feet away, turning herself into an airborne missile, deadly as any that ever rained from a warplane. Jaws gaping, she collided with the tire’s metal rim. The force of the attack sent him reeling. The wolf flew over him as he fell. He rolled away from the beast, toward the car, grabbing onto the tire iron. He would not surprise her again. If he waited for her to attack, he would be a dead man.
He pushed himself off of the wet pavement, raised the tire iron over his head, and charged the wolf as she turned to face him. She growled, but it was cut short as he swung the tire iron across her right foreleg. She howled as the leg broke. The fight was over. She growled at him defiantly, then hobbled away. He stood back as the wolf was engulfed in fire and watched again as flame shot upward, through the fog and into the night.
He turned back toward the car, wondering if he could get the tire changed before she came back. He stooped, picked up the tire and rolled it to the car. He knelt in the puddle, but his adrenaline stopped pumping almost as quickly as it had started and he was covered in pain. He dropped from his knees onto his ass in the muddy water, caught a few seconds of rest, and started to plan.
Chapter Five
Cold shivered through the room and the radio on Carolina’s dresser came on by itself, filling the air with the mono music of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band asking their audience to enjoy the show. The volume cranked itself up to full blast by the time they told the audience to sit back and let the evening go.
The Beatles were only a few words into the chorus, when Arty came to the conclusion that the two pinpoints of red light were eyes staring into the room and they meant to do Carolina harm. He was starting to rise even before they faded.
“ Get down!” He dove across the bed, landing on her before the band had a chance to introduce the one and only Billy Shears. Without a thought of his own safety, he put himself between whatever was staring in the window and Carolina’s small body.
The ferret screamed its baby wail and Arty screamed as he felt the furry animal scoot between himself and Carolina. But he didn’t let go.
Three great explosions ripped the night and the Tiffany lamp by the dresser exploded, showering purple and blue glass shards down on Carolina’s dresser.
Arty screamed again as a searing slice of heat ran along his back, sending him rolling off the bed. He kept his arms vice-tight around Carolina, taking her and the ferret with him to the floor. His chest banged into hers when they landed, causing the whoosh of air rushing from their lungs to meet midway between their lips, just before they banged heads.
They both gasped, seeking air, but he didn’t let go. They took in small, quick breaths. The ferret shifted and Arty, not used to it, yelled—but the sound of his terror was covered by a howling wail that tore through the neighborhood, sending a shock to Arty’s ears that made him forget about the fear and the
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