SWNOVELS Chapter The Disappearances
The next morning, Timber woke up and stretched. Ginger was gone, probably hunting again and Nu was choosing a breakfast.
“Good morning, Nu... How did you sleep?” Timber asked.
Nu turned to look at Timber. A concerned look crossed her face.
“Not well?” Timber asked.
“Timber... I had a nightmare. I’ll be alright, though... As long as it doesn’t come true...” Nu said.
“What happened?” Timber asked.
“A beast came out of nowhere and brought terror to not only the wolf villages, but to all of Fairwood... Possibly the entire world too...” Nu said.
“A beast? What kind?” Timber asked.
“I cannot tell you... Not even I know... Whatever it was, it was evil...” Nu said.
A shiver ran through Timber’s spine. Nu looked up at the sky, locating the sun.
“Timber, you better head to school... You’re going to be late if you hang around here any longer,” Nu said.
“Alright... Take care, Nu... Tell Alpha Stone I said thank you!” Timber said and ran off.
Timber exited the woods and found herself racing the school bus to the school building. A few kids in the bus clapped and cheered when they noticed Timber. Others stuck their tongues out at her. As soon as they reached the school, Timber turned back into a human. She wiped the sweat off of her forehead and entered the building as though she wasn’t just racing a school bus full of children.
Kids were standing around in the hallways talking with each other, most of them sounded concerned, though others seemed pleased.
“What happened?” Timber asked someone.
“You’ll find out soon...” the person replied and continued talking to their friend.
Timber sighed and headed to class. The bell rang and everyone from the halls started also heading to class. Once everyone was settled in their classrooms, the intercom came on with a loud pop.
“Attention all students and staff, we have some terrible news for all of you... Dillon Ralf Wade and Monica Gladwyn have both gone missing without a trace... While we do have people out searching for them, we don’t know if we’ll ever find them... If you have any idea of what may have happened to them, please contact the police immediately... We are very sorry to anyone who knew them well...” the intercom announced before clicking off.
“Missing...? But how could anyone just disappear?! There must be an explanation...” Timber said.
Some kids started bawling and others started cheering. The teacher tried to calm them down.
“Settle down guys... Settle down...” the teacher said.
Timber was distracted the whole day thinking about the two missing students. They weren’t related, at least not that she knew of. She never really got to know Dillon and Monica. Another thought crossed her mind, what if more people disappear? What if Lillian has disappeared too?
Just as Timber was thinking about her missing sister, someone approached her.
“Timber... We need to talk to you...” they said.
Timber instantly recognized them as the principal, also the one who made the announcement.
“Yes, ma’am?” Timber asked.
The principal led Timber to the office and seated her in a small room. She shut the door behind them.
“Timber, today is the second day that your sister hasn’t shown up to class,” the principal said, a look of concern was on her face.
“Yeah... About that...” Timber said.
“Did she vanish too...?” the principal asked.
“I honestly don’t know... She ran away from home the other day and I haven’t seen her since...” Timber said.
“Oh dear... I’ll need to make another announcement...” the principal said, nervously wringing her hands.
“That’s not necessary... I’m the only one who cares about her...” Timber said.
“I care... anyone who goes to my school is very important to me...” the principal said.
“You don’t think she’s dead... Do you...?” Timber asked, tears in her eyes.
“It’s a possibility... I’m so sorry, Timber...” the principal said.
There was a knock at the door. The principal got up and went to the door, opening it a crack to see who was there. It was Ronald.
“Hey, Mrs. Peck... Uh... Have you seen Timber...?” Ronald asked.
“Yes, she’s here with me... No worries,” the principal said.
“Oh! That’s good... I was afraid she may have vanished as well...” Ronald said.
Timber walked to the door and also looked out.
“Hi, Ronald!” Timber said.
“Hey, Timber!” Ronald said.
“You two run along... It’s almost lunch time...” the principal said and smiled.
“Thank you, Mrs. Peck,” Timber said and left with Ronald.
“Mmm... I wonder what’s for lunch!” Ronald said.
“Hopefully something really good...” Timber said, her stomach gurgled loudly.
“Don’t eat me!” Ronald said, playfully swatting at Timber and laughing.
“Ah, no worries!” Timber said, laughing as well.
The bell rang and so they both entered the cafeteria. Timber and Ronald both gasped in horror as soon as they entered the cafeteria. There was blood everywhere!
“I suspect a murder just happened... But where is the body? Where is the murderer?” Timber asked.
Timber stepped into the room and started exploring, looking for evidence. Suddenly, all the kids who had lunch at that class period appeared behind Ronald and stared past him into the cafeteria to where Timber was examining the blood.
“Oh, my, gosh... TIMBER MURDERED SOMEONE!” the ugly girl from before cried out.
“Shut up, McKenna Arterberry...” Ronald said.
All the kids started murmuring to each other. Timber looked up from the puddle of blood she was staring at and saw the group crowded at the door. A math teacher named Mr. Wallis also looked in and saw the mess everywhere and Timber standing among it.
“Timber Smith! I can’t believe you’d do such a thing!” Mr. Wallis cried out.
“Mr. Wallis... I didn’t do this... I’d never kill anyone...” Timber said, stepping forward and accidentally stepping in the blood.
Everyone gasped in horror. Timber’s ears went down.
“How do we know you didn’t?! And there is no body, you must have eaten it or buried it to eat later!” McKenna said.
“Trust me... I’d never do anything that sick!” Timber pleaded.
“You’re a wolf! Wolves can’t be trusted!” McKenna cried out.
“McKenna has a point... You aren’t exactly human...” Mr. Wallis said.
“But really! I have no idea who got killed, who killed them, and where the body is! That’s why I came into the room, to investigate!” Timber called out, “Ronald, please back me up!”
“Timber is right. She and I both found this mess here...” Ronald said.
“And what were you doing out of class, Ron?!” McKenna asked.
“DON’T CALL ME RON!” Ronald yelled.
Everyone backed up.
“So... From my understanding... You helped Timber murder someone and then you helped pretend she didn’t?” Mr. Wallis asked.
“No! Neither Timber nor I know! Ask the cafeteria people! They must have been here when it happened!” Ronald said.
“Where are the cafeteria workers...?” Mr. Wallis asked, entering the bloody room.
“Um... Uh... I don’t know?” Timber said.
“You killed them all!” McKenna cried out.
“No, I did not!” Timber cried out.
At that moment, two cafeteria ladies entered the cafeteria from the back door and stared at the mess on the floor.
“Okay... Nobody was in the room except for the murdered and the murderer... We have no witnesses...” Mr. Wallis said, trying to keep calm.
“It was Timber and Ronald!” McKenna cried out.
“No, it was not!” Ronald said.
“Well... In my opinion... We need to call the janitor to clean up this mess...” one of the two cafeteria ladies said.
“No! Please don’t clean up the evidence! If we can get the police in here, we can prove at I am innocent!” Timber said.
“I’m sorry, we need to get this place clean so all the hungry students can eat,” the lady said.
“Let them eat outside!” Timber said.
“With all the bugs? Nah!” the other lady said.
“Please! Don’t!” Timber cried out.
“We need a janitor in the cafeteria... A major blood spill has been found,” the first lady said into a walkie-talkie.
Timber burst into tears and threw herself into the blood puddle on the ground. Ronald grabbed her and pulled her away.
“We need to check attendance again... We must find out who’s missing... Student or worker...” Mr. Wallis said.
Timber turned and checked the lunch line for any signs of who the victim could have been. She turned into a wolf and sniffed the ground.
“Mr. Wallis! Timber went wolf in the kitchen again! I thought we made a rule against that!” McKenna cried out.
“No? I don’t remember that rule?” Mr. Wallis said.
The janitor arrived and everyone scattered so he could do his job…everyone except for Timber, of course.
“Hmmm... How could this be...?” Timber mumbled to herself.
“GET OUT OF HERE! I NEED TO CLEAN EVERYTHING!” the janitor yelled upon seeing Timber standing in the lunch line as a wolf.
Timber obediently left the room; ears down and tail between legs.
“Was there no blood found for the other missing people? If there wasn’t, maybe it wasn’t the same person? Perhaps they all just happened to run away and then some person just happened to get killed just now...?” Timber suggested.
“Maybe...” Ronald said.
No one got lunch that day because the janitor had to make sure every bit of blood was cleaned up. The bell rang twice signaling that school was over for the day.
“Where are you headed this time, Timber?” Ronald asked as Timber headed for the door.
“I’m going to my grandmother’s house... The wolves aren’t going to let me stay with them another night,” Timber said.
“How do you communicate with wolves?” Ronald asked.
“Simple, give them some respect, if they tell you to speak, you speak,” Timber said.
“Oh... Well... Stay safe, Timber!” Ronald called after Timber.
Timber ran to Honeywood Village; or Fairwood Village as some call it.