Bram's Hollow

The breaking and smashing noises continued to emanate from the back of the moving van. Tobias was looking at his great uncle Jerome with eyes that asked the question before it even left his mouth. “You know my dad?”

The front tire of the moving van drifted onto the rocky dirt causing Tobias to jerk the steering wheel to the left to get back on the road. A muffled but loud thud hit the side of the van.

“Stay on the course Tobias.” Jerome said in reaction to Tobias’s concerned look toward the back of the van. “She’s a tenacious woman. She will endure a little turbulence.”

Tobias had been taking the road for granted. He focused on his driving once again. The highway was dark and lightless. The van’s headlights shined down on the road only offering black asphalt for Tobias to look at. The moon was now high in the night sky, full, majestic. Tobias focused on the road being all too cautious of his steering and pedal work.

“How far is Bram’s Hollow?” Tobias asked to break the silence.

“It will be close to dawn before we arrive.” Jerome watched Tobias; his eyes were focused on the road. The Phantasm looked at the candles that Vivian had set up to keep him lit by natural fire. “Do you remember anything of your father?” Jerome asked.

It was a hard question for Tobias. He spent so long trying to forget about his dad that dredging up any memory of him seemed difficult. “Not a lot.” He said as he reached for his bottle of water. “I remember his hair, it was black like mine. He looked so frail like he was down with some sickness.” Tobias unscrewed the cap to his water with one hand and took a long drink. “I don’t remember him ever playing with me. He would watch, but he never played with me.”

The night passed on and the van kept heading west. It was another two hours before Jerome had Tobias pull off onto a narrow dirt road that he could have easily missed had Jerome not pointed it out. The road was bumpy and jagged like it had not been used in years. Tobias slowed down out of fear of losing control of the van on the loose grade. It was another good hour before the road evened out and felt more stable. The dirt road was heading for a mountain range, off in the distance. Tobias could just barely make out the path on the mountain where the road, like a snake, ran to and fro across it. The moon was hanging just over the side of the mountains now.

The late hour was starting to catch up with Tobias now as his eyelids were starting to become heavy as he started to ascend the mountain range. “How much farther?” Tobias asked as he yawned.

“A fair bit further I am afraid.” Jerome answered glibly.

Tobias splashed some of his bottled water onto his face, readying himself for the tight curves that lie ahead. The road was abandoned, not a single trace of another vehicle. This made things easier for Tobias, now he could slow down and take the curves at a more manageable speed. As they climbed slowly but steadily up the mountain range the moon began to sink behind the mountain peaks. Higher and higher they climbed, Tobias had been relatively quiet as he focused on the many turns. His feet shook as he carefully applied pressure to the gas pedal becoming more comfortable with the twisting road conditions. As the van approached the top of the range the road had started to smooth out. Just ahead, to the side of the road, were two branchless trees by the rocky mountain side. Jerome extended his pale, withered arm and pointed ahead. “Take us up to the trees and stop the vehicle.”

The van jerked to a stop as Tobias hastily applied the brakes. He heard boxes shifting and falling from the abruptness of the stop. Tobias hopes that his mother was alright. He was eager to get out of the van and stretch for a moment before continuing along to Bram’s Hollow. As he slid out of the front of the van Tobias noticed just how visible the stars in the night sky were away from the lights of civilization. After giving his arms a good stretch he walked ahead to look on the other side of the mountains on the road ahead. It was dark, looking down at the earth below, no sight of any towns or farms or anything populated. It must be a long drive ahead, Tobias thought as he yawned once again. Tobias walked back to the van where Jerome still sat in his seat, lit by candles that were dripping onto the dashboard and seat.

“We don’t seem to be close to anything.” Tobias said. “Why did you have me stop?”

Jerome looked out the van toward the sky. “You look tired, young Tobias.”

“I’ll be fine in a minute. I just need to stretch my legs.”

“The mountain peaks are high here, aren’t they?” Jerome kept looking at the sky with his hollow eyes.

“I guess so.” Tobias said as he turned to see what Jerome was looking at. The moon was almost hidden by the mountain tops. In fact it was just about hidden by them. They both looked up and watched as the moon slowly drifted into the mountain until it completely covered by the giant mass of earth. Jerome pulled his head back into the van, now looking at Tobias.

“Your mother should be ready to come out in a minute.”

“What do you mean?” Tobias looked up at the covered moon once again. He was about to ask Jerome to explain when he heard a steady knocking on the side of the van. This was different from the pounding and crashing from before, this was more controlled. Tobias looked at Jerome who nodded his head, motioning him to walk to the back of the moving van. Carefully Tobias did as he was instructed and walked to the back, cautious of what might have happened to his mother.

“Mom?” Tobias shouted at the closed roll top door.

“Open the door Toby.” Replied the muffled voice of his mother. “I’m alright now.”

Tobias held his arm out to grasp the locking latch on the door. He hesitated for a split second, and then pulled up the door. His mother slid out of the back and straightened her shirt which now had a large rip across the stomach.

“Man, it was hot in the back of that thing.” Vivian looked at her son who quickly hugged his mother. “Are you alright Toby?”

“Am I alright?” Toby asked. “What happened to you back there?”

“You don’t need to worry about that.” Vivian ran her fingers threw her son’s hair. “I normally have more control over the change. It’s the full moon that makes matters difficult.” She looked at the sky to be sure there was no chance of the moon reemerging.

“Change into what?” Tobias asked as he and Vivian walked back to the front of the van.

“You mean Jerome didn’t tell you?”

“No, and I have to admit that I’m getting frustrated by the lack of answers I’m getting to my questions.” Tobias was starting to get irritated.

“I know honey, and I understand. I should have told you about all of this much sooner and I’m so sorry I didn’t”

“Vivian,” Jerome was peeking out of the van again. “You should really get moving if you are to make it before dawn.”

Vivian looked at Jerome and nodded the looked at her son. “Let’s get moving, then I promise I’ll tell you.”

Tobias looked at the ground then nodded in agreement.

“We are at the twin tree cave entrance.” Jerome said. “I trust you know the way from here?”

“No problem Jerome.” Vivian responded.

“Then I will be off.” With that Jerome drifted out of the van, becoming shadow once again then quickly streaked off into the night.

After watching Jerome fly off in the distance, Vivian patted Tobias on the back. “It must have been quite an adventure, driving all this was at night.”

Tobias said nothing then climbed into the passenger’s seat of the van. As Vivian took her place behind the steering wheel, Tobias blew out all of the candles. Vivian started the moving van and turned it toward the two limbless trees.

“This isn’t the road.” Tobias said cautiously as his mother drove toward the mountainside.

“You’ll like this part.” Vivian smiled. The van cruised in between the trees and drove straight toward the rocky mountain wall. Tobias’s eyes were wide with terror until he saw two slabs of rock slide apart. The van drove into the newly opened cavern into the side of the mountain.

The cave was long and surprisingly well lit as torches lined the sides of the cave walls. His mother was right and Tobias did like it, though it was all a bit shocking.

“I guess Bram’s Hollow is a pretty secret place then.” Tobias said as more of a statement than a question.

“It has to be.” Vivian replied. “It’s important for it to be kept away from the outside world,” She glanced over to Tobias, not sure if he was ready to hear what she was about to tell him. “I promised you answers and I suppose there is no use in postponing it and more is there?”

“Please mom, tell me.”

“Well,” She paused to think of a better way to say it but found none. “I’m a Wolfkin.”

“Wolfkin,” Tobias tried the word on for size. “Do you mean you’re a werewolf?”

“Werewolf is not the best way to put it.” Vivian could tell that she was losing him. “A werewolf transforms due to being attacked and bitten by another werewolf. That’s not what really happens. I was born like this.”

Tobias was taken aback. “You mean to tell me you’ve always been a werewolf?”

“Wolfkin, yes.”

“Wait a minute,” Tobias thought about it for a second. “Does that mean I’m a were-Wolfkin too?”

“The truth?”

“I can take it.”

“I don’t know.”

The statement drove Tobias to silence. What was he then, human? Something else? The thought sent chills down his spine. He looked out the side window and noticed that the van was now heading down a decently steep road. The cave walls were close. Tobias wagered that he could touch them if he felt so inclined. He did not. “What else mom?” He asked. “What else do I need to know?”

Vivian looked at her son’s sleepy eyes. “Hon, you’re exhausted. You should really get some sleep.”

“How can I sleep at a time like this? My whole world has been turned upside down.” Tobias said defiantly. “We are driving in a cave on our way to a town full of monsters.”

“Come on Toby, there not all monsters.”

Tobias looked out the window at the cave wall as it streaked by. Every torchlight had a tracer, and his eyes started to dim. His vision became a dark tunnel that was closing in, and his head nodded. A few minutes later Vivian brushed back her sons black hair, her boy was soundly sleeping. She reached over and took a bit of the beef jerky out of Tobias’s bag. The dried beef was tough but satisfying, she had a hard night but at the end of the cave were all her old friends and the rest of her family. Vivian figured that it was about time that her son got to know them. She raised her son the best she could and she thought that keeping him away from her old life was a way of protecting him. She knew better now and was actually looking forward to returning to Bram’s Hollow.