Catrina Billowson

“S-saved you?” I asked, catching on immediately but not wanting to show it.

“Don’t play dumb with me,” he smiled gently. “The day I was in the forest. When I was...” he looked around. “Turned... You know that was me, yeah?”

“Er, yeah...” I said guiltily, and started walking again.

“I just wanted to say thanks for saving me, however you did it.”

I nodded, the image of Mr. Sought that day making me shudder. “How did you know?”

“Holly and Burton told me about a girl that came from the future to save me. How else?” He said.

“Oh, yeah. I guess I forgot about them.”

There was a break of silence between us as my bike clicks with motion.

“You know, you kind of remind me of her,” Koby said suddenly, his hands shoved into his pockets.

I furrowed my brow, racking my mind. “Who?”

“Holly.”

I recalled what she looked like. Pretty, tall, slender. Comparing how she looks to my own reflection, the only thing I saw that resembled her is my hair color. “In what way?”

“Well, I don’t know. Your face, and your body shape... and the way you are. I don’t know, you just have a personality like her, and your eyes look just like hers.”

“You’re talking like I’m her daughter or something,” I laughed. “And besides, I think I look like a lot of people. I guess I just have one of those faces. As for the personality, there are plenty of weird people out there like me.”

“Okay then,” he flashed a white-toothed grin at me.

We walked for a few minutes, and then it came across my mind that he hadn’t told me the other thing yet.

“So, what was that other thing you wanted to tell me?”

He looked around cautiously, and then said, “I’ll tell you inside.”

I followed his gaze and saw we were standing before a house. It was small and had trees and shrubs everywhere. It looked kind of eerie, if you asked me.

“Is this where you’re living?” I asked.

“For now, until we go back.”

“Go back?” I said, stunned. “When are you going back?”

He looked around and pulled me inside quickly, shutting the door.

“When the war’s over.”

“What war?” I asked. “Between who?”

“The Vampires and Werewolves. And whoever sides with whom. You see—you might want to take a seat—” I sat down at a wooden table and looked at Koby in the harsh lighting above it. “—the Vampires stole most of the woods, and half of the city. Werewolves need people—and at least animals—to survive off of. They took more land, and are changing whomever they can into Vamps so they can’t be outnumbered. They have the Leprechauns and Unicorns and the Centaurs on their side, along with all of the Scientists of the Mythological World and many others that would take way too long to name. And us Werewolves have Fairies, Kelpies, Bigfoot—”

“He’s real?” I asked.

“Yep. We also have firebirds, or Phoenixes, Elves, and very few of the Unicorn race that were siding with us. Then there are the neutral ones. Like Dragons, Nymphs, Mermaids, the Kraken, all of them. And, also, the Verepires, like you, which are all neutral because they are both species. They aren’t accepted into either, however, because of the races they’re mixed with.”

“Wow... It’s a lot like the real world...”

“Bingo!” He said to me. “But we were hoping—we were really hoping that you would side with us. Maybe it would start a snowball effect and we’d recruit some more Verepires. Maybe Werewolves can be the first to accept your kind.”

“But—”

“Don’t think twice! Please? Just do it.” He placed his hands on my shoulders and looked deep into my eyes. “For me?”

“I...” I felt like I was suffocating. A war? Not to mention, I couldn’t betray Harvey—I couldn’t even bring myself to think about betraying him for some reason, but I also couldn’t betray Koby. I really liked them both and I felt this need to obey both of them... but... picking sides…

I understand why Verepires are a neutral party between the two.

“Catrina, who turned you into a blood-sucker?” He asked me.

“Harvey, but—”

“Oh that—! Wow,” he laughed in disbelief, anger mixing in with the sound. “No wonder you’re wrapped around his finger. And to one of my only friends, too!”

“What? —Wait. How the heck do you even know Harvey?” I asked, standing up from the table.

“I met him so long ago... Here, when I was five, and I knew him until I moved to Europe. We lost touch. He’s in my second period class. He showed me around the campus, and he was like my best friend once again. I hung out with him that whole day, and I didn’t even know he was a Vampire until he told me. I really didn’t. He didn’t smell like them yet, like decay. And the war had just begun, and the two races hated each other.” He sat down in the chair I had been in. “How could he do that to me?” He rubbed his forehead with his hand. “Only a few Vampires and Werewolves are in the neutral party with the Verepires. I thought he was one. He said he was one. I believed he was one.” He slumped in his chair.

I shifted my weight. I can’t believe how hard this came down onto Koby. He looked like he gained five years sitting there under the dim light. I reached forward, and grabbed his arm.

“I’m sorry, Koby,” I told him as I looked deep into his eyes. “I didn’t know...”

“Of course you didn’t.” He sighed, and slipped his hand away from mine, and let his eyes wander to the table. “Some things just slip his mind!” He hit the table, and I jumped, startled.

There was silence for the longest time, or what seemed a long time.

“Catrina,” he said slowly and sadly. “Harvey can’t be trusted. He’s a liar. I just don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I won’t get hurt, Koby.”

“You will if you don’t be careful around him.” He looked me in the eyes. Anger flashed in his bright green irises, and I felt a rough edged tone come out in his voice.

“I’m in-de-struct-a-ble. I’ll be fine,” I told him.

“No, you aren’t. One silver bullet, or a stake to the heart, and you could be dead forever,” he huffed, standing.

“Why are you so mad?”

“I... I don’t know, Catrina. I get mad even easier now.” He slumped as he stood there. “Go.”

“But, Koby—”

“Go! Before I lose my temper on you, too.”

“Too?”

I saw his hair start to change and ripple into thick, coarse fur. I could hear his bones grinding, and his muscles shifting, and his organs moving. I could see every gruesome transformation his body made, and I saw... I saw... that very wolf that bit me. It was Koby.

“You—! You were the—!”

I’m sorry Catrina but I didn’t expect—

“Expect what?!” I yelled at the large wolf in the middle of the room. Why does everything inside feel so shaky, so fragile… crumbling…

I didn’t want to hurt you! I didn’t mean to! I--

“But you did.” I said through gritted teeth and slitted eyes. “Maybe Harvey’s not the dangerous one. Maybe it’s you!” I screamed as clicks erupted from my throat when he came too close. Tears fell from my eyes as I ran out the door of the tiny house. I ran down the road—and right into Harvey. I sighed and collapsed into him, sobbing.

“Whoa, what’s wrong, Catrina?” He asked, shocked.

“Koby... he... he...” I couldn’t breathe because I was crying so hard. I took a breath, stood straight, looked Harvey in the eye, and asked, “Why did you change me?”

“Because I love you, Catrin—”

“The real reason!” I demanded.

He gawked down at me.

“Because... because...”

“I’ll finish that. Because you wanted me to help you win your stupid war.”

He looked at me, shocked.

“Well? It’s true, isn’t it?!” I pressed.

“...Yes.”

That’s it! I hope you enjoyed it. It’s available pretty much anywhere you can get ebooks and paperbacks, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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