shoved the key into
the lock and turned it sideways.
Ivan immediately released his grip on
George's neck and shoved the cage door wide open. It smashed into
George and knocked him to the ground. Ivan jumped out of the cage,
landing on his feet and transforming as soon as he hit the
dirt.
His pants and shirt split apart, exposing a
newly muscular and fur-covered body. He grew at least two feet in
height, and claws burst through his shoes.
Ivan's face took longer to change
completely--several seconds rather than almost instantly. Along
with the sprouting brown fur, his jaws extended, his nose
transformed into a snout, and his ears changed into the pointed
ears of a wolf.
Ivan stood before them, still humanoid, but a
very definite wolfman. Then he put back his head and howled, even
though it was broad daylight and there was no moon to howl at.
He jerked back as a bullet punched into his
chest. Michele fired again, hitting him in the stomach. Though she
was a surprisingly good shot, the overall effect seemed to simply
be to piss him off. He took a menacing step forward, and her third
shot missed completely. She pulled the trigger several more times,
but the gun just clicked.
Lou said "shit." George just thought it.
The werewolf smiled, revealing plenty of
sharp teeth, and let out a low growl. He looked as if he wanted to
make some sort of taunting comment, yet said nothing. Maybe he
couldn't talk in this form.
He howled again, then--moving on two legs
instead of all fours--ran down the path in the direction they'd
come.
George, Lou, and Michele all watched him go,
staring in horror and amazement.
"Get in the van!" George shouted, slamming
the rear doors of the van shut. "Get in the van now!" He ran around
to the driver's side door, which Lou had left open. Lou and Michele
didn't seem to be moving. "Did you hear me? Let's go! Let's go!
Let's go!"
"Where are we going?" Lou asked.
"Get in!"
Lou nodded. He and Michele ran over to the
passenger's side. Michele got in first.
"You don't have to go," George told her.
"We're setting you free."
"I'm not staying out there with that thing on
the loose!"
"Fair enough."
She scooted over as Lou joined her on
the seat. It was an even tighter fit than when she and George had
shared it, but comfort was not a huge priority right now. George
started the engine.
"What are we doing?" Lou asked.
"What the hell do you think we're doing?
We're getting that werewolf back!"
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Chase
"Why the hell would we go after him?"
Lou asked, sounding more than a little unhinged.
"Because we've got a job to do! And if we
fail at that, we're at least going to run that fucker over! He may
be able to withstand bullets but he'll sure crunch under our
tires!"
Lou shut his door. "We can't follow a
werewolf in a van! He'll just run off into the woods!"
"He might."
"And he'll kill us!"
George drove forward and began to make a
three-point turn. "If he wanted to kill us, he would've done it
while we were standing there with our jaws hanging open. He
could've killed all three of us, shredded us on the spot, but he
didn't." George didn't actually know this, but it sounded
reasonable.
"Good! I'm glad he didn't! When a werewolf
like that doesn't kill you, you count your blessings; you don't
give it another chance! We shouldn't be following him, we should be
driving to the nearest bar, or finding a church to join or
something!"
"I agree with Lou," Michele said.
George got the van turned around and floored
the accelerator. "I said you could get out."
"Do you have any more bullets?" Michele
asked, as they drove off the dirt road and back onto the paved
one.
"We've got a couple of spare clips. Lou,
reload her."
Lou reached for the gun. Michele hesitated,
as if unsure whether she should give up the weapon.
"It's empty," Lou said. "You might as well
hand it over."
Michele gave him the gun.
"Don't give it back to her," George said.
Lou reached under the
the lock and turned it sideways.
Ivan immediately released his grip on
George's neck and shoved the cage door wide open. It smashed into
George and knocked him to the ground. Ivan jumped out of the cage,
landing on his feet and transforming as soon as he hit the
dirt.
His pants and shirt split apart, exposing a
newly muscular and fur-covered body. He grew at least two feet in
height, and claws burst through his shoes.
Ivan's face took longer to change
completely--several seconds rather than almost instantly. Along
with the sprouting brown fur, his jaws extended, his nose
transformed into a snout, and his ears changed into the pointed
ears of a wolf.
Ivan stood before them, still humanoid, but a
very definite wolfman. Then he put back his head and howled, even
though it was broad daylight and there was no moon to howl at.
He jerked back as a bullet punched into his
chest. Michele fired again, hitting him in the stomach. Though she
was a surprisingly good shot, the overall effect seemed to simply
be to piss him off. He took a menacing step forward, and her third
shot missed completely. She pulled the trigger several more times,
but the gun just clicked.
Lou said "shit." George just thought it.
The werewolf smiled, revealing plenty of
sharp teeth, and let out a low growl. He looked as if he wanted to
make some sort of taunting comment, yet said nothing. Maybe he
couldn't talk in this form.
He howled again, then--moving on two legs
instead of all fours--ran down the path in the direction they'd
come.
George, Lou, and Michele all watched him go,
staring in horror and amazement.
"Get in the van!" George shouted, slamming
the rear doors of the van shut. "Get in the van now!" He ran around
to the driver's side door, which Lou had left open. Lou and Michele
didn't seem to be moving. "Did you hear me? Let's go! Let's go!
Let's go!"
"Where are we going?" Lou asked.
"Get in!"
Lou nodded. He and Michele ran over to the
passenger's side. Michele got in first.
"You don't have to go," George told her.
"We're setting you free."
"I'm not staying out there with that thing on
the loose!"
"Fair enough."
She scooted over as Lou joined her on
the seat. It was an even tighter fit than when she and George had
shared it, but comfort was not a huge priority right now. George
started the engine.
"What are we doing?" Lou asked.
"What the hell do you think we're doing?
We're getting that werewolf back!"
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Chase
"Why the hell would we go after him?"
Lou asked, sounding more than a little unhinged.
"Because we've got a job to do! And if we
fail at that, we're at least going to run that fucker over! He may
be able to withstand bullets but he'll sure crunch under our
tires!"
Lou shut his door. "We can't follow a
werewolf in a van! He'll just run off into the woods!"
"He might."
"And he'll kill us!"
George drove forward and began to make a
three-point turn. "If he wanted to kill us, he would've done it
while we were standing there with our jaws hanging open. He
could've killed all three of us, shredded us on the spot, but he
didn't." George didn't actually know this, but it sounded
reasonable.
"Good! I'm glad he didn't! When a werewolf
like that doesn't kill you, you count your blessings; you don't
give it another chance! We shouldn't be following him, we should be
driving to the nearest bar, or finding a church to join or
something!"
"I agree with Lou," Michele said.
George got the van turned around and floored
the accelerator. "I said you could get out."
"Do you have any more bullets?" Michele
asked, as they drove off the dirt road and back onto the paved
one.
"We've got a couple of spare clips. Lou,
reload her."
Lou reached for the gun. Michele hesitated,
as if unsure whether she should give up the weapon.
"It's empty," Lou said. "You might as well
hand it over."
Michele gave him the gun.
"Don't give it back to her," George said.
Lou reached under the
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