20

The day at the lake was very incredible, that is, Kessler and I spent almost the whole day together, I hardly even remembered that the night before my father's friends were murdered. We ate something that we had brought from home, after making love in his car like five times a day we were ready to go, night was falling and I knew more than anyone that it was not a good idea to be here at night, those killer wolves they could be out there, lurking. Kessler and I put things in, the truth is that I have had a very beautiful day. Kessler and I got in the car and he drove off.

"How did you like the day?" He asked me.

"Beautiful," I blushed, I can't believe I barely know Kessler and we act like we've been dating for years. It's weird and I'd like to know why “I still feel like we've been dating for a long time, Kessler, why are you acting like that with me? You're not playing or are you?”

"Eve, please." We already talked about that” he murmured in a low voice “One day you'll understand, now I have to do some important things.”

"Is it about the funeral?" I wanted to know.

“Yes, my mother wants us there. We have to support the officers.”

"I guess I'll also accompany dad, I don't want to leave him alone," I said, looking out the window. Only the dark forest was visible, there was fog, it seemed beautiful but also scary. How can something so cute be so bad?

"Okay," he took my hand and kissed the edge of it.

When we arrived in front of my house I kissed him goodbye on the lips and went out, I got home, I heard dad talking to Lucas in the kitchen. It was half past six at night already.

I went to the kitchen and found them having dinner, they both looked at me.

"Eva, where were you?" Dad asked, I felt ugly because his tone of voice was angry.

"I was with Kessler," I answered in a low voice. "We went there to... distract myself."

Dad continued eating.

"You've been missing all day, Eva," Dad added.

“Yes, I'm sorry... it's just that I'm very nervous with all this that's happening, I'm not used to this, dad.” I sat in a chair next to Lucas, who until now had only eaten in silence.

“I understand, but don't disappear without saying where you're going, darling, especially now with all this that's happening. It's dangerous for them to walk around at night.”

"It won't happen again," I told him, hugging him. "I'll accompany you to the funeral."

“Do you want to do it?”

"Yeah, Lucas too," I added.

“Don't speak for me, silly” recriminated Lucas “I don't think I can go.”

“Why not? We have to accompany dad," I told him.

"Okay, honey, if your brother doesn't want to go, don't go. Let's go you and me. It's very difficult, seeing their bodies full of scratches, bites, made me feel terrible.”

I imagined them fighting wolves, I imagined them being brutally attacked by wolves. I feel powerless, I feel angry at those murderous beasts.

"You should implement a better strategy to hunt them," I told him.

“Eva...” Sentenced Lucas “…better not say things that you might later regret.”

I frowned because Kessler had told me the same thing and I don't understand them, why do they defend those animals? If we all know that they killed seven innocent men, they had family, children, someone who loved them and leaving things like that does not seem fair to me.

"That's enough of this." I stood up. "If you won't do anything, I will." I left the kitchen and went up the stairs to my room. I looked for the book I stole from the library and started flipping through more pages.

I found a beautiful lake on my trip to Telluride, it's a magical place where dreams come true. I met a beautiful woman, white as a sheet and with hair yellow as sunlight. The girl was called Meredith Walton and she was my first and last love.

I froze as I read Kessler's last name, well, I guess the girl is an ancestor of Kessler's, they've always lived here. I kept reading:

The more I got to know Meredith the more I thought she was the love of my life, we got along so well that it seemed like we'd known each other forever, which we'd only known for days. But I liked the feeling.

Wow, that's just how I feel with Kessler, I felt something in my chest, it's that usual pain, so I sat on the bed and calmed down a bit. I felt something in my neck, a pain. I stood up and went to the mirror, my eyes widened to see a red mark there. Kessler did that to me? It's too noticeable, a very...specific mark. It doesn't look like a typical pacifier that couples make, this seems more marked. I guess with some makeup it will come off. I took a base and applied it in the red zone, it was almost not coverable but after a few minutes applying the base it was covered. I went back to bed to continue my reading:

Meredith is a woman full of secrets and mysteries, just like the people of the town. I discovered that they have power over animals, especially wolves, they control them, they make them do what they want. But I feel that it is beyond having control over them, I believe that wolves are beings like us that transform on full moon nights.

The chapter ended there.

Human wolves... like werewolves? Impossible. I closed the book when I heard my father call my name. He had forgotten that I would accompany him to town.

“Go!” I yelled. I looked for a sweater in my closet and some wool boots. Being ready I went downstairs. I left the house with dad and we went to town.

•

In the town there are many people in the streets, they carry a white candle lit, in memory of the deceased officers. There is an officers' parade and a patrol caravan, all in honor of officers who have passed away. Dad joined the caravan by blowing his siren. People made their way for us down the street, when we got to the square where they were watching over them we got out of the car. The truth is that the whole town was here, I looked at the sky: the moon was shining and it was full. I felt a bad feeling when I remembered what the book said about the full moon and wolves. Dad and I sat in the front. Kessler's mother began to speak at the funeral, expressing her condolences to the families of the deceased and reminiscing about how brave they had been. I was waiting for him to say that they would do their best to hunt down the wolves but those words never came. I'm feeling uncomfortable Right now, I looked around for Kessler and found him sitting in the back next to Riley. It gave me courage to see him next to her, they were supposed to have finished, right? I clenched my hands and looked into the distance, where a shadow flashed through the woods.

I held dad's hand because I would swear it was a wolf. Or maybe I'm seeing hallucinations. There are plenty of people here for those wolves to kill.

"Dad," I called him.

"...And now a word from Sheriff Bailey in honor of his fallen comrades..." Carmina said, getting Dad's attention. Daddy stood up and went to speak. I have been left alone. I got to my feet and walked away from the crowd, through some bushes until I came to a place where I could clearly see if there was danger. Dad spoke very sadly, he made me feel sorry to see him like this, he was a good man and he has a giant heart. He deserves the best and I won't let anyone take away my dad's happiness. I looked for a silhouette that makes me think that we are in danger but the only thing you hear is the noise of the crickets. I gave up and turned to go back to my place but my body collided with someone else's and when I looked up I found a tall man that I had never seen in my life.

"Excuse me." I wanted to brush past him but he got in the way.

“What's happening? Why do you run away?” He asked me.

“No reason.”

"So you're Eva Bailey, Kessler Walton's girlfriend."

“We're not a couple.” I replied. I can't see his face because of the darkness but I feel bad vibes.

"But soon they will be."

"And if so what?"

“Nothing. It gives us great pleasure to have met you, Eva, tell Kessler that now we know how he will pay us the debt” said that, the guy turned around and walked away in the direction of the forest.

What debt are you talking about? I can't understand, that guy scared me. I advanced until I reached my seat and, just as I sat down, we heard a howl in the distance. This time all of us who were here heard it, dad stopped talking and listened to the howl, I looked at Kessler but he was gone.