Chapter Twelve: I am Landon the Bloodthirsty

“Don’t listen to that voice. It lies,” Adri said quietly. I jerked my head up, not realizing that I was still in the tent with the Witch.

You can hear that, voice? Please, please tell me how to get rid of it! I need to think on my own! Please tell me how!

You can’t get rid of me, you idiot! Don’t even try.

Oh, I hoped that that wasn’t true. I needed this stupid voice gone. I needed it gone forever! Is there a way?

“Yes, there is a way,” Adri said slowly, trying to think.

Don’t listen to her. She is a liar. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

My voice was desperately telling me this now. I could tell that it didn’t want Adri to finish her answer.

Adri smiled and said, “That’s good. Always fight it. Never give in. Never. The only thing that that voice will tell you are lies. It will only lead you to greed and wrong things. Ignore it. Fight it. Do what ever you possible can to resist it.”

That’s what Payton told me to do. Isn’t there just like a spell or something that you can put on me?

Don’t listen to her! She lies! Don’t believe her! Please don’t!

Oh, you are sounding all strong and helpful now. I smirked. Out of instinct, I reached up and scratched my ear. Adri looked at me, and I looked at her. Suddenly, I burst out laughing, or wheezing, in my case. Werewolves can’t laugh very well.

“The only thing that I need to tell you is to not let your voice take over you. There is a time in a werewolf’s life where his or her inner voice totally takes control of them. It can only happen once in their entire life, though. When that happens, you have no control whatsoever.”

That would be the perfect thing to do right now…

No! Please don’t! I need to keep talking with Adri! Not now!

You should have killed them in the first place. I guess I’ll have to finish the job. Good-bye.

No! Please! Please, I beg you! I knew it was too late. My eyes were beginning to fade, and I knew that my inner voice was taking over. The last words that I heard Adri say were, “Once this voice totally consumes you, it will never come back.”

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I woke up naked and hurting like crap. I uttered out a cry and winced. My bare skin was burning because I was laying on the cold snow. I growled, and rolled over onto my stomach. My side ached from being on it so long. It was then that I saw the horrific scene that my eyes beheld.

I was at the Witch’s camp. I was certain of that. But it wasn’t that that concerned me. The Witch’s camp was horribly, utterly, and irrevocably destroyed.

I gulped, staring at the scene that was before me. Could this really be true? What the heck happened? My heart leaped as I remembered Adri’s words about my voice taking over. Was that what had happened? Had my voice really taken over?

I carefully stood up and tried to warm my freezing cold body. Nothing helped. I really needed to find some clothes. Like Lacy, I was going to freeze! I then had a second thought. I needed to transform into my werewolf body again. What if my voice was really gone?

Anxiously, I started transforming, feeling the familiar feelings and jolts of my body become longer and furrier. I growled when I was fully transformed and then thought, voice, are you there?

I got no response. I got no response whatsoever! That meant that my voice was gone! Could that be true? I asked again, and got no answer. Yes! I thought.

I was totally voiceless. Man, that was a wonderful feeling.

Grinning, I looked back around to the camp. The tents were torn and cut up, the fires totally extinguished. And there wasn’t a single Witch out walking about.

Instead of seeing their faces, I horrifyingly saw their corpses. They were littering the ground; their faces all torn up, just like the tents. Grimacing, I took a step towards a Witch whose face was screaming silently. Chin trembling, I looked at her and felt my eyes water up. Had I really done all of that?

Unusually, my voice didn’t answer in its snobby way. I couldn’t believe that something so cruel, so evil, could kill innocent beings.

“It’s not your fault, you know.”

I jumped, and yelled out in frustration. My stupid voice wasn’t gone after all! Oh, crap!

“No. You have indeed destroyed it,” a voice muttered, and I slowly turned around, still on all four of my paws. I was sure that my brown eyes widened when I saw the Witch standing not four feet away from me.

Oh. So I didn’t kill everyone.

“You didn’t kill anyone. Your Werewolf side did. And as for the Witches, we forgive you,” a little girl said. She was wearing one of those unusual coats that all of the Witches were wearing. Her blonde hair was done up in a ponytail, and she looked no more than twelve years of age.

Who are you? I thought, knowing that all Witches could read minds.

“I’m Angelica. It’s nice to meet you, Landon.” For one so young and juvenile, she seemed to be pretty calm, considering that I had just massacred her family.

“Yes, that is true, but it wasn’t you who killed them. Trust me. I can feel pleasant thoughts from you. When I tried to calm you down a few hours ago, all I felt were hatred and death. It wasn’t you who killed them,” Angelica repeated. She had that sort of…angelic posture and face. It was too perfect to describe. How could a girl so young be so pretty?

Why didn’t anyone stop me from…from killing all of you guys?

“We tried to. You wouldn’t listen,” Angelica said sweetly. She smiled, as if she thought that this whole thing were a joke.

“I don’t think that it is funny. I just know that you didn’t do it. How many times am I going to have to say it? We forgive you!” Angelica stated, raising her perfect eyebrows.

Sorry. It’s just that there has been a lot on my mind lately. Like Lacy. One minute she was alive, and the next I found out she was dead. I loved her more than anything in my entire life. I would do anything to bring her back. Anything.

“What if there is a way to bring her back?” Angelica asked, staring deeply into my eyes.

My heart leaped about a mile. What? There is a way to bring her back? My eyes brightened, and I wanted Angelica to keep talking. I needed Lacy. I needed her.

Angelica looked down at the snow, and kicked a puff of it. It was sent flying through the air, and then landed with the rest of the snow. “Of course there is. Witches have mastered that technique. It’s just…” Angelica said, but stopped mid sentence.

What? Tell me! I’ll do anything!

She looked at me with her perfect eyes and whispered, “I can bring her back if you like. It’s just that the rule says that if you bring someone back, there must be another to take his place.”

I stared blankly at her, not understanding or caring. I would do anything for her. Just the thought of having Lacy back in my arms filled me with joy.

“That’s what I thought,” Angelica said, “If she means that much to you, then I will take her place.”

What? What are you talking about?

“I said that if I bring Lacy up from the dead, someone else has to take her place. Someone has to die. If she means that much to you, I will take her place.”

My heart stopped, and I stared at her. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know if I even could say anything! Would this girl I didn’t even know give up her life for Lacy?

“Why wouldn’t I? I have nothing to live for. My family is dead. I might as well be, also,” Angelica said, and looked back down at the snow, perfect tears forming out of her perfect eyes.

I couldn’t kill her. No. Not even for Lacy. There was no way that I would make her die to bring Lacy back up. No way.

“I don’t mind….really,” she said, but I could hear the hopelessness in her voice. My heart started beating again, and I could feel my tears swelling up.

“I can get over it. I am over two hundred years old. I’ve lived here long enough. I want to get my life over with,” she said, still focusing on the ground. Would she really sacrifice her life…for my love? Why would someone do something like that, even if they were going to die?

“Can we do it quick? I want to go…I want to go home.”

All right, now the tears literally exploded from my eyes, leaving big wet streaks slithering down my face. I cried out, not in pain, but in complete happiness. Never had I known someone so willing, so generous to offer their life.

Thank you, Angelica. Thank you so freaking much.

It was an awkward silence, because I must have been too caught up in my throat to breath or something, because Angelica didn’t say anything. Her tears at stopped, and now she faced me with a wide grin.

“Are you ready? I’m ready to leave,” she asked me, and I nodded, and took her hands, tears still streaming out. I mumbled something, but then all that came out were more tears. I felt so warm; so loved. There had never been someone so willing to help me…I just didn’t know what to say. I bet that you have never seen a Werewolf cry, huh?

“Let’s go find Lacy’s body,” she said, and pulled me towards the front of the destroyed camp, mixed emotions coursing through my system.

Angelica’s hair swayed with the wind of the cold winter day, and I smiled through my tears. She was so…so loving. Oh, how glad I was that I found her.

With my amazing werewolf ears, I heard crunching of snow, and then Angelica whispered, “Hurry. We have to do this fast.”

I nodded and forgot about the crunching snow; it was probably just some hiker.

Angelica nodded, too quickly to be not curious of what she was doing. Why was she making me run? She wouldn’t want to die that fast, would she?

“Yes. I mean no. I mean…I don’t know! It’s just that we have to go!

Hurry!” Angelica cried out, now running as fast as she could towards Lacy’s dead body. I could hear the fear in her voice.

I stopped and stared at her. Angelica, what is wrong?

“It’s…it’s nothing. Just come on! Do you want Lacy back or not?” Angelica turned around put her hands on her hips. I could tell that she was listening for more crunching snow; the people. I knew that she was listening for someone. But who?

“You never mind, all right? It’s none of your business…” Angelica lost her train of thought as soon as she reached Lacy. I pounded up to my love and looked at her cold, stone face. There was no laugh anymore. There were no cries of joy. Lacy was dead. But not for long.

Hurry! I want to see Lacy again! Angelica nodded, and hastily looked back behind her. The people were coming closer to us, whoever they were. I glanced back also, and barked.

There was someone walking through the Witch’s camp. Who is it, Angelica?

She didn’t answer, but started to undress herself, pulling off her coat and jewelry. After that, she placed her clothes on Lacy.

It must have been some kind of a ritual. Hurry!

This time she nodded and started chanting strange words. I peeked back over to the Witch’s camp, and I saw them. There were two of them: a man and a woman. Both of their faces were pale and drawn, but I recognized them instantly.

I barked as loud as I could, shouting out the male’s name, but I couldn’t speak. Obviously. I growled, and jumped up in the air, wagging my tail in excitement. It had been so long since I had seen him.

“Landon! Don’t listen to her! She’s trying to kill you!” Payton Doug shouted, waving his arms madly. The woman beside him was also motioning me to listen to Payton.

I cocked my head over to Angelica, who should have been doing the ritual. Instead, she was holding a knife. A long, silver knife.

Man, where does everyone get those? I want one! I took a step back, not knowing what to do. It must have been the first time I had seen Payton for months! It seemed like years.

Angelica was still standing motionless, holding the silver knife above her head, threatening my every move. What am I supposed to do?

You are a Werewolf! Kill her!

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of my voice. I couldn’t tell what the heck was going on. Had Angelica lied about everything?

I can’t believe that you trusted a Witch…

It’s not like you were here to help me! I grunted, and then made my move. Using all of the momentum force in my legs, I pounced off of the ground, and into the air. I caught the devil Witch by surprise, and she dropped her knife, but quickly grabbed it again. She swished it through the air, barely missing my furry body.

Man, I hate killing people…I landed with a hard thump that blew snow in every which way, and then turned my head, rabies forming once again.

I had never noticed it before…did my rabies just now start? I couldn’t tell.

I told you. The only way to get rid of rabies is to bite a human. And rabies only form when you are hungry.

Oh. That’s nice to know. That’s the second smart thing that you have ever told me.

“Landon! Come here! She is too powerful! I’ll take care of her!” Payton cried, flinging himself into my path. I had my teeth bared and my claws stretched out, ready to rip apart anyone who ticked me off. Angelica was such a…such a…such a Witch! I couldn’t believe her! She lied about everything!

I can’t believe that I actually let you trust her. Witches lie about everything. They only want you as their prisoner to torture.

I thought that Witches were supposed to be nice. They were the good guys.

Yes, but what happens in the movies? The bad guys go to jail, right? Or they get killed. Either way, they devise a clever little trap to ensnare us. Don’t fall into it. Whatever they have told you was a lie.

Yes…Adri lied about you being gone. Crap! I really believed her!

“Landon, just get out of here, all right? I’ll talk to her, and then we’ll make some sort of an agreement,” Payton said, out of breath. Angelica was still holding the knife, but Payton had her hand firmly grasped in his.

I nodded my furry head, and carefully stepped back, still ready to rip her apart.

“Sarah, take him somewhere else. I’ll catch up with you guys later,” Payton muttered, glaring at Angelica. Sarah! Holy crap! I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t recognized her! Sarah! She was alive!

I excitedly cocked my head, looking at the dazzling woman. I could tell why Payton chose her. Sarah’s features were irrevocably perfect. Except for maybe a smudge of dirt on her chin, her face was bright, despite that it had been pale before. She looked down at me and smiled. Her brown eyes seemed to say, “I love you, Landon.” I shrugged off the thought. I could not be hitting on my teacher’s wife. Gross!

Sarah quietly said, “Let’s go. And hurry.” I nodded and Sarah looked back at Payton, who had Angelica still in a firm grasp. He looked up from the devil Witch and smiled at his wife. It reminded me of Lacy and I.

That was when it hit me. Lacy…she was really gone. Angelica lied about the whole ‘I can bring her back to life’ thing. I couldn’t believe her! I snarled absentmindly, and Sarah looked down from her stare on Payton.

“Come on,” she muttered, and led me off, away from Payton and the devil child.

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