The Wolf- Chapter 2: Home

@BEASTtheHUN @MapleWay 

He woke up on his worn blue couch. His neck ached, and his stomach twisted and churned. He slowly sat up, groaning with the effort. He realized that he was incredibly tired and thirsty. If he wasn’t in such discomfort, he’d lay back down and rest again. The sun was shining through the back door, and the brightness hurt his eyes. Each time, this happened. Each time, he awoke painful and sore. But each time, he went back for more.

Wait a minute. How’d he get here? He had fallen at the parking lot of the bar. Did he somehow find his way back and didn’t remember it? Or did someone pick him up and take him home?

He heard footsteps from the hallway and he turned to see who it was. From the hall came Emily, her yellow backpack slung over her shoulder. When she saw him, a brief flash of anger crossed her face. She stopped and glared back at him with tacit fury.

“Hey Emily,” Chad said quietly.

“Hi,” Emily responded bitterly. “How was the bar last night?”

Her words struck him like a whip across the face. Anger swelled up within him. “Why, did you want to come too?” he asked, his voice rising.

“No, but I was all alone here!” Emily yelled. “You were gone, like you always have been!” She spun and ran out the door.

For a long time, Chad just sat there, too sad and angry to move. What she said was true- he was gone a lot of the time. Probably too much. But she just didn’t understand. She didn’t understand that sometimes the only way to deal with your problems was to run away from them.

He felt guilty for what he was putting Emily through. For four years, his best friend had been the drink in his hand. For three years, his only friend had been the drink in his hand. He had left Emily for the bar because her life would be so much worse if he had stayed.

She’s better with me gone, Chad decided again. I’d just make things worse.

He stood from the couch and walked to the hardly-furnished kitchen. They only had a fridge that barely worked, an oven, and a microwave. He rarely used the oven and microwave. The fridge held all that he felt he needed for the day.

He retrieved a can of beer from the refrigerator and plopped back on the couch.

While popping open his can, he turned on the TV and watched the news.

“If you’re just tuning in, there’s been a new mystery in town today,” the attractive reporter said. “A young woman, aged 23, was attacked last night. Early M.E. reports place the time of death to be around 12-2 a.m. and the wounds were similar to a wolf’s bite. Other wounds also resemble a wolf’s claw marks.”

Chad raised himself on the couch. A wolf attack? That was interesting. Almost interesting enough to get his mind off his grief. He continued listening, more intently now.

“No wolves have been found and there are no wild wolves in the area,” the news reporter stated. “There are also no wolves in the city zoo. Police are thinking that this is a disguise to a more elaborate murder. Here’s Officer-” Chad shut the TV off.

A wolf attack. Or a murder? That would need to be one elaborate murder, to make it look so much like an attack by a wild animal. He wondered how something like that could be possible.

The doorbell rang, hurting his ears. “Coming!” he yelled to the door. He planted his arms on the edges of the couch and pushed himself up. I’m leaving the couch too many times, he thought grumpily. He shuffled to the door, hoping that the person at the door would be gone by the time he got there.

The doorbell rang once more. It’s insistence bounced across the house. “I said I’m comin’!” Chad shouted again. “Man, can’t you wait?”

He looked through the eye-hole and tried to prepare a berating for the person at the door. There was no one there.

“Huh?” Confused, he opened the door. There stood Lucien Wilkes.

“Hi, Chad Dunham!” Lucien hailed. “How are you, friend?” he stayed in the doorway, making no move to walk in.

“Um, hey… man,” Chad replied, forgetting Lucien’s name. “I’m perfectly fine. What are you doing here?”

“Can I come in?” Lucien asked simply, completely ignoring his question. Whether he did it accidentally or by design was anyone’s guess.

Chad scowled and nodded. Stepping aside, Lucien strode in. Chad closed the door and followed Lucien.

“I asked before and I’ma ask again,” Chad spoke. “What are you doing here?”

Lucien had grabbed a beer and now lounged on the couch with his eyes closed blissfully. “I’m here to check up on you. I was about to leave the bar when I noticed you passed out in the parking lot.”

Chad’s green eyes widened. “So you brought me home last night?” He had thought that he had just journeyed home last night and didn’t remember. He was surprised that a random stranger he had just met would bother to take him home.

Lucien grinned unabashedly. “Yes, I did. It wasn’t that hard because, well, you were passed out most of the time.”

Chad would’ve laughed. But he hadn’t laughed in a while. “How’d you know where I lived?” he asked curiously.

Lucien faltered for a small moment. “Oh, um, you told me for a moment when you were awake.” He glanced sideways at Chad.

Chad’s face was painted with the suspicion that he felt for this man. Although he now knew his name, he didn’t know much else of Lucien. He seemed to be a friendly person, but other things were still very confusing. He determined that he would figure this guy out.

Chad picked up his beer and sat next to Lucien. This had to be handled delicately. Sadly, he was not a delicate person. “What’s your name again?”

Lucien felt his face flush with anger. “You don’t remember? My name is Lucien Wilkes.”

“That sounds French. You from France?” he interrogated.

Lucien opened his eyes and bored into Chad’s with a hint of coldness. “Yeah. My family moved to America when I was young. Can we get back on track? I have my first job for you.”

Chad picked at the couch. He wanted to ask more questions but Lucien obviously wasn’t going to answer any more. “Yeah, I guess. What- wait, what job?”

“Remember at the bar last night? Our deal? You do jobs for me and I help you with your problems?”

Chad probed deep in his mind. “Ohhh. I remember now.” He took a long drink of his beer. “But you haven’t helped me with anything. So why should I help you?”

Lucien was silent for a long time, intent on studying the wood patterns in the table. Eventually, he answered. “I helped you by bringing you home last night. That was only the beginning. Now will you do this favor for me or not?”

Chad stood up harshly. “No. I would’ve gotten home one way or the other last night. If that’s the only help you’re gonna offer me, then you can just leave. I can help myself.”

Lucien calmly gazed at Chad, unfazed by his rage. “Chad, I will help you. I promised that and I will follow through. I always follow through. But I need this favor.”

Chad marched toward the door and threw the door ajar. “Leave, Lucien. Until I see some real results, you are not welcome here.”

Lucien simply smiled at Chad. He got up slowly from the couch and strolled slowly toward the door. Before he left, he put a hand on Chad’s shoulder and gazed into his eyes. His light blue eyes radiated friendliness. He stayed there for a few seconds then slowly shuffled out.

Chad slammed the door after him, then slid down the door and put his head in his hands. It’s too early to be up, he thought tiredly. Too much action for one morning to handle.

“Tonight, Chad. Tonight, you will see what I can do. And I will be back.”

Lucien? Chad rapidly got to his feet and threw open the door, expecting to see a certain Frenchman crouching behind it.

No one was there. Just the empty street of a dark neighborhood.

Chad carefully shut the door once again, then peered through the peephole.

No one came to the door. He waited there a full five minutes, and all was silent.

I’m just hearing things, Chad at last decided. I need my drink. My friend.

He trudged back to the overused couch, slumped into the cushions, and drank until he passed out.