Humans Bite Back

The following day my lovely dreams were shattered by a hysterical Petra. I had been on the verge of awakening when she threw open the door to my room and started shaking me violently, “Wake up, Bishop,” she demanded before grasping onto my covers and stripping them away.

I had decided to sleep in my boxers the night before, so I balled up due to the embarrassment as well as the sudden shock of being tossed out of my warm cocoon. “What is it, Petra?” I asked, rolling into a sitting position while keeping my knees to my chest.

“It’s Finn,” she cried, “She didn’t come home last night.”

I recovered my blankets and wrapped them around my lower half as I stood up. “Are you sure she’s not with Dr. Briggs?” I put forth, “Maybe they decided to remain behind and burn the midnight oil.”

Petra shook her head vehemently, “After Finn didn’t answer her cell, I tried to contact Dr. Briggs. He’s not answering his cell, or at his office, and his assistant Agnes said he never returned home last night,”

“Well, that’s a relief,” I told her, “Now that the vampires know he’s missing, I’m sure they will find them.”

“We have to go to the clinic,” Petra insisted, and without bothering to ask for my consent, she said, “Get dressed, and wear your walking shoes; I have a feeling we are in for a long day.”

I hurried to dress, and the moment I stepped into the kitchen, Petra herded me out the door. “I don’t mean to be so pushy,” she said as we walked at a fast pace in the direction of Breeze Street, “I just have a bad gut feeling,”

Now that she mentioned it, my stomach was doing somersaults, but I wasn’t sure if this was due to instinct or the rude awakening I had endured. I decided that it must be instinct because once we closed in on the clinic, my stomach became a tumbling champion.

It was apparent that the staff hadn’t arrived yet because the clinic’s lobby was still dark. Petra and I scurried to the back of the building, where she tried the backdoor. “It’s locked,” she said, stating the obvious. Though she and I were the only ones standing in the vacant lot, she looked over her shoulder before turning and casting a disengagement charm on the door.

She opened the door, and we invited ourselves inside. Once we crossed the threshold, it was easy to surmise that something horrible had occurred the night before.

The cute animal posters that lined the walls had been torn to shreds. The lobby had been left intact, as well as the exam rooms, but when we reached Dr. Briggs’s lab at the end of the hall, it was evident that the place had been ransacked.

The crates Finn had used to transfer supplies were empty and tossed on their sides; the lab table still bore the dust outlines of microscopes, a computer, and other lab equipment that had been removed. Just to cover their bases, whoever had cleaned out the place had emptied all the cotton swabs and sucker containers as well.

“I must alert the coven,” Petra inhaled a deep breath. “Certainly this fits the criteria of foul play,” she said, “I must alert the other coven members and perhaps The Supreme Mother too.”

I placed a hand over Petra’s phone to prevent her from calling out. “I would alert your coven and get a search party organized, but I would hold off on contacting The Supreme Mother until we have exhausted every other option. You know the high covens will take offense if they were unnecessarily inconvenienced.”

“They took all the lab equipment,” Petra argued as she gestured around the empty lab, “This was obviously sabotaged,”

“Or they were attacked and decided it may be wise to move their base,” I reasoned with her. “If the coven could question the doctor’s assistant and sweep the Where Woods, I can gather some friends to blanket the neighborhood,” Though my heart was racing, I sounded strangely logical.

“You’re right,” Petra agreed, bobbing her head, “We can present our case to The Grand Supremes without more evidence. The Fire Crotches and I will cast a location spell, and I assume that we should notify the wolf packs; Dr. Briggs is one of theirs, after all.”

“That’s a fantastic idea,” I praised her. “Perhaps if they had a possession of Finn’s, maybe a shirt from the dirty laundry they could track?”

“Lucky for Finn, I am horrible at household chores; I have a pile of clothes that they can root through,” Petra said as she typed on her phone. “I am sending out a mass text to the fire crotches now, and Finn had the number of that werewolf who had spoken at our assembly. Do you recall his name?”

“Emanuel,” I told her flatly. I had no problem recalling the name of the swaggering wolf that I considered the bane of my existence.

Petra sniffed, “Do you smell that?”

I inhaled, then recoiled and covered my nose. “It smells like burning rubber….” I paused when I realized that my feet were hot. I glanced down at my sneakers, the treads were smoldering, and the plastic caps on my laces were melting. I shook away all thoughts of Emanuel, urging my body to respond in kind.

I fished my phone out of my pocket and sent out a mass text to the Grandmasters with a summary of current events, including enough detail so they would know it was urgent. I was about to put away my phone when I noticed an unopened notification.

When I opened it, my feet cooled off, but my heart was ignited when I saw that I had received a friend request from Erica. Though I wanted to message her at that moment, I understood that this was not the time or the place. My love life would have to be put on hold until my aunt and Dr. Briggs were found.

I tucked my phone in my pocket and was about to ask Petra if she thought we should also notify the vampires. Vampires were very good at ensuring that everyone stayed out of their business while they minded every else’s. Before I got a chance to ask, we could hear an arm of cars circling the clinic.

“The cavalry has arrived,” Petra breathed a sigh of relief as she trotted down the hall so she could greet her coven sisters.

Soon enough, a steady parade of witches began to march through the offices of Dr. Briggs, each pausing to examine items they found interesting while others broke up into groups to organize search parties. Now that Petra was safe, I decided that this may be an excellent time to slip out and wait outside for my posse to arrive.

The Grandmasters arrived on foot, which was expected, considering that only Kenny and I had a driver’s license, and I doubted Kenny’s mother wasn’t too keen on loaning him her wheels after Erica’s accident.

“Wow, there are sure a lot of witches here,” Bryce exclaimed as he gawked at the line of vehicles, which were all black and eerily reminded me of a funeral procession. “Are you sure we’re even needed?”

“Of course, we need,” I scoffed at him, “The witches may have their charms, but we have our wits.”

“In that case, Finn and Dr. Briggs are doomed,” Jacob muttered.

I ignored him as I said, “The witches are going to canvass the Where Woods and search for clues that may give them an idea of who may be responsible. Kenny and I should take Brewery Street and The Industrial Sector, while Jacob and Bryce start knocking on doors,” I paused, and when nobody objected, I continued, “I think Jacob and Bryce should start on Vampire Row, vampires don’t sleep, so maybe one of them saw something.”

Bryce groaned, “Do we have to? I don’t have a problem with vampires in general, but most of The Tall Order resides on the row and always make it a point to come outside and tell me to get off their grass even when I’m on the sidewalk minding my own business.”

“They are just doing their job,” Kenny said, coming to the vampire’s defense. “It must be exhausting for them to shake their canes and yell at small children all day.”

I turned to Kenny, “We should stop by Edna’s first; she moderates most of the Silverdale social media pages; maybe she can post about it?”

“Good idea, and once we finish with our canvass, we can meet back up here,” Kenny concluded.

I waited until Bryce and Jacob broke off into the direction of Vampire Row before I disclosed to Kenny, “I should warn you, hanging around me is dangerous at the moment. An angry werewolf is after me,”

“I know,” Kenny told me as we started walking in the direction of Brewery Street, “Erica told us all about it when she brought Mom’s car back in such poor condition.”

We approached Edna’s, and I opened the door for Kenny and waved him inside. At first, he was hesitant but finally worked up the courage to cross the threshold.

Once inside, he gazed around in amazement. “My mother always said this shop was deplorable, but now I realize that she doesn’t know the half of it.”

“Yeah, Edna takes pride in her craft,” I told him.

“What are these?” Kenny asked, pointing at the strange wigs Edna had put out on display.

“Those are hairpieces to be worn on the face on occasion*,” I confidently informed him.

“That makes sense,” Kenny said, nodding, “I bet men with balding beards everywhere are grateful,”

The door to the back room opened, and Edna stood at the threshold. Behind her, a disembodied voice pleaded with her, “Please let me out, ma’am. I’m in terrible pain.”

“Not until your hour is up,” Edna snapped before closing the door behind her. She gave me a quizzical smile as she said, “Bishop, I didn’t realize that you were on the schedule today.”

“I’m not; I’m here on personal business,” I told her. “Oh, I love personal visits,” she cried, clapping her hands together. She sized Kenny up before asking, “Are you alright, lad? You look a little green around the gills.”

“I’ve never been in a place like this before,” Kenny blurted out, “My mother says your store is a stain on Silverdale.”

Taking no offense, Edna replied, “Your mother is right, but I’ll let you in on a little secret about stains; once one appears, it’s the primary focus while everything else just fades into the background.”

I shot Kenny a murderous look before saying, “We didn’t come here to share Kenny’s mother’s unsolicited opinions. There is a situation, and I came to ask for your help.”

Edna listened intently as I gave her a condensed version of current events, concluding with the state of the clinic. When I finished, Edna’s brow was furrowed with concern. “If not for your aunt, angry mobs of flaccid men would be terrorizing our town, and Dr. Briggs keeps the flea population at a minimum. We must get them back.”

“We can use all the help we can get,” I told her gratefully.

“Have you asked the ghouls?” she inquired.

“No, I didn’t think they would be much help,” I confessed, “Don’t they spend most of their time baking, dwelling in basements, and terrifying young children in their beds?”

“Utter nonsense,” Edna spat. I threw up my arms defensively, “I didn’t mean to be offensive, I was just repeating what I heard.”

“All of those things are true, but that doesn’t mean they are not necessary,” Edna lectured me. “Ghouls are formidable creatures, with one foot in this world and one in the next.”

“Don’t vampires straddle the two dimensions?” Kenny ventured.

“Nope, our feet are firmly planted in this one,” Edna informed him. “The ghouls are responsible for ushering souls into the next world. That’s why they hide under children’s beds; most of the souls that try to remain behind are doting grandparents.”

Edna sighed, “If it weren’t for the ghouls, we would have ghost mucking about, knocking things over, and interfering with the lives of the living.”

“Like an impenetrable band of mother-in-laws,” Kenny surmised.

“Precisely,” Edna quipped, then turned to me, “I’m good friends with Edwin, the ghoul who owns Edwin’s Edibles. He can ask the ghouls to keep an eye out for your aunt and Dr. Briggs and report anything suspicious that may be happening underground.”

“I appreciate it, Edna,” I told her gratefully, then tugged on Kenny’s sleeve. “We should get going.”

“You may want to check out The Industrial District,” Edna advised us. “I saw a car venture into that area when I went out before dawn to salute The Rough Riders who are still brave enough to interfere with the human’s early morning commute.”

“They are real soldiers,” I said respectfully, “Thanks for the tip, Edna; I’ll call you as soon as I know anything.”

As soon as we left Edna’s, I cut through an alley that connected Brewery Street and the industrial district. “Shouldn’t we finish combing Brewery Street first?” Kenny inquired. “The new factory is due to open, that may explain why a car was in the area so early in the morning.”

“Petra and I ran into the Industrial District to escape the werewolf. Petra had gained us access to the new factory, and while we were there, we overheard a strange conversation between a Leviathan and The Supreme Mother.”

“The Supreme Mother is fraternizing with the Leviathan?” Kenny asked, seeming to be as baffled as I had been.

“Petra is sure there is a reasonable explanation, but I thought the entire exchange was a bit odd,” I stopped at the wall that Petra and I had escaped. “I think this was the wall Petra had opened up for us.”

“Petra’s not here at the moment, so how do you suppose we will gain access?” Kenny implored. I ran my fingers along with the stone; I could feel the rocks tingle from my fingertips. “They are desperate for change,” I told him, “Perhaps all they need is a little finessing.”

“You are delusional; this is a complete waste of time,” Kenny continued to discourage me, but I ignored him because I was listening to my gut now, and my gut was telling me that it was possible.

I closed my eyes as Petra had and rested my fingers on the stone. At first, there was only a tingling sensation. Suddenly, I had the innate desire to grow moss, roll, and erode. It was as if I had become one with the stone, and suddenly I was capable of satisfying these urges.

“You’re doing it,” Kenny gasped in disbelief, “Bishop, you’re doing it, open your eyes and look.”

I did as Kenny demanded and saw that there was now a hole large enough for us to shimmy through. “We have to move quickly before the rocks realize that this is just an illusion and decide to reseal.”

I lay on my belly and entered feet first. Though I was sure that this was where the crates had been stored the day before, my sneaker found nothing but empty air space. “Prepare for a slight drop,” I warned Kenny as I wiggled the rest of the way in, clung to the rough seal of the opening, and allowed myself to drop.

I aided Kenny with his journey since it was apparent that some of the rocks had already begun to shift. I offered him support as his bottom half swung from the opening. “I got you, but you have to hurry,” I warned him when I noticed that some of the stones had begun to move.

Kenny managed to work his upper body through the increasingly shrinking gap. I cringed as he clung onto the stones, afraid that they would seal and swallow his fingers up, but Kenny allowed himself to let go in just the knick of time.

“That was close,” Kenny whispered as he watched the stone assume its prior position.

I was about to caution him on how close he had come to becoming a wall ornament, but I was distracted by a strange moaning sound.

Kenny scampered behind me and clung to my shirt. In a barely audible voice, he cried, “What is that? Is it a Leviathan?”

I shook my head and put a finger to my lips, motioning for him to be quiet so I could detect where the moaning sound was resounding. Most of the crates had been moved, and the drink dispensers that Petra and I had used to obscure us were missing. I could only assume that they were being transported to the fairgrounds.

Though the cases of drinks had been removed from the wall, there were still a few towers scattered about, and the sounds seemed to emanate from behind one of the towers.

It sounded as if somebody or something was wounded. I stepped lightly, not wanting to arouse anything that may feel cornered are frightened.

I peeked around the corner and couldn’t believe my eyes. I was sure I was hallucinating, but then I rubbed them, and the scene had not changed.

“Aunt Finn,” I cried, not being able to contain my delight. I could practically feel Kenny sag in relief behind me.

Aunt Finn’s eyelids fluttered, and though she was gagged, I could see her corner lips turn up as she recognized my face, but her joy seemed to turn to terror. Her eyes widened, and she began to shake her head vehemently. Though her words were muffled, I was sure she was saying, “Run Bishop, run!”

“It’s alright, Aunt Finn,” I told her in soothing tones as I squatted next to her. “The entire town is out searching for you and Dr. Briggs,” I told her as I freed her from her bonds.

Once Finn was able, she reached up and pulled the gag out of her mouth and threw it to the side. “Bishop, you shouldn’t have come,” she cried.

“Of course, I had to come. Did you think that I wouldn’t try to find you?” I gaped at her, “Now that we found you, we need to get you to safety.”

Finn seized me by the collar of my shirt, “You don’t understand, nobody is safe and won’t be again,” her pupils were nothing but pinpoints, and the whites of her eyes were exposed around her iris; she was on the brink of hysteria.

“It’s going to be alright, Aunt Finn,” I attempted to lull her with a soothing tone, “Everything is going to be alright….”

“No, you’re not listening,” Finn exploded as she grasped each side of her head with her hands. “You don’t understand what is happening,” she looked at me, “Those energy drinks that you and Petra dropped off with Dr. Briggs, we tested them, and discovered that drinks contained organisms similar to the saliva samples we had collected to the infected.”

“I knew there was something fishy about those drinks,” I cried, not able to help to feel pleased that my suspicions had been confirmed.

“You can pat yourself on the back later,” Kenny scolded me.

“Did you manage to report your findings to The Supreme Mother?” I pressed her.

Finn looked at me in bewilderment, “Of course I did; she requested that I bring her the data in person, but when I arrived at her house, it was fairly obvious that they had already known what I had discovered.”

Finn was about to continue, but then her face lit up as if she had just remembered something important. “Dr. Briggs,” she gasped, “You have to call Dr. Briggs and warn him.”

When neither Kenny nor I reached for our phones, this gave Finn pause. “What happened to Dr. Briggs?” she uttered as if she might choke on the question.

I opened my mouth to fill her in on what we had discovered at the clinic, but I was interrupted by a silky voice. “He got away, but we will track him down soon enough.”

Before I had a chance to react, there was a sharp crack, followed by a blinding light, and before I could recover, I was plunged into darkness.

*These wigs were in fact, Merkins, pubic wigs worn to cover and disguise sexually transmitted diseases. This detail will be important later in the story.