The Things We Fear

“Simon,” a female voice hissed at the younger boy, following them through the gate.

Marcus vaguely recognised the girl and boy, cousins of the Toulez family. The pair were a couple of years below him in school. Simon, the boy, and Georgina, the girl. Marcus hadn’t known them well beforehand and had little to no reason to interact with them after he was mercilessly cut off from the pack.

Both were shushed by an older girl, her hair slicked back by the heat and turned from sun-kissed blonde to almost brown with the sweat on her brow. Lara, another person Marcus had picked out as a wolf but was the only one among them not related to the rest–at least as far as he was aware.

He didn’t need to move his eyes to guess who the other two were. Leather Jackets, regardless of the heat, dark blue jeans and white tops that did nothing to hide the bulging muscles beneath them.

“What are you clowns doing here?”

He heard Theo making a protesting noise beside him, but cut the other off before he could say anything too offensive. Theo’s dislike for his ex-best friend and brother was not a secret.

“I could ask you the same. What are you lot doing here, sniffing around a crime scene?” it was a warning as much as a question.

Even Marcus wasn’t sure whether that warning was “remember there are humans here” or “I’ll out you like the dogs you are in a heartbeat if you fuck with me”. As a good person, he hoped it was the former, but he wouldn’t deny it. He’d fantasised about getting little bouts of revenge on their pack for a long time. Rejection hurt, and he was not above being petty.

James’ brow furrowed, displeased by Marcus’ reply. He likely could smell the anger he felt rather than the usual hurt or attraction. Marcus had just used his little pouch to get rid of what he was pretty sure was a vampire; he could do the same to werewolves if he had to as well. The boy stepped forward, as though to intimidate him, so he reached for the pouch, ready to fling it at the lot of them.

“Whoa, dude,” The elder girl’s hands were on James’ shoulders and keeping him back. “We’re all illegally at a crime scene. Let’s not go drawing attention to ourselves, should we,” this was why he liked Lara. She was level-headed for a wolf. None of the short tempers and quick fists the rest had.

“Whatever, you shouldn’t be here,” Daniel stared menacingly from beside his brother.

“Nor should you, ass-wipe.”

With Theo behind him, Marcus had not been able to stop the boy from running his mouth.

As Daniel took a menacing step towards the other boy, he bodily put himself between them.

Quietly, so only the wolves would hear, he whispered, “Try it, wolf boy, see where it gets you,” he tapped the pouch on his threateningly.

He saw James scoff, but they didn’t make a move further.

“Oh, Little Markie, all grown up,” Daniel mocked, “I’m so scared.”

“Maybe you should be,” he couldn’t help muttering.

The way James flinched at the words whilst Daniel looked at him like he was a new toy he wanted to shred to pieces, did not give Marcus a good feeling. He wondered what emotions he must have been excreting to have the wolves reacting like this. Even the hissing of the shadows had quietened with their confrontation. As though even in the dark, they were holding their breath.

“Guys,” Georgina whispered again, “someone is coming.”

Marcus couldn’t hear anything, but he knew how much sharper shifter senses were to plain old humans.

“And that would be our cue to leave,” he said, grabbing Theo and walking around the wolves.

He stared at Simon until the kid stopped blocking the gate; the boy jumping out of the way as though he had forgotten he was blocking the only exit.

“Marcus,” came as he and Theo were already back among the trees, torch already lighting their way.

He ignored them as the wolves caught up with the pair. Theo whispered something he didn’t catch, but the look James threw told him it probably wasn’t complimentary to the shifters.

“What?” he asked as James jogged to walk beside him.

“Look, sorry alright, I just didn’t expect to see you there.”

It was a piss poor apology, but Marcus was not interested in arguing. The last stretches of purple and pink were painted across the sky. The night would be here soon. He refused to waste valuable daylight by hashing things out with his –whatever James was to him now. Classmate? Gay awakening? Guy he enjoyed arguing with just because it was the only time he knew the other couldn’t ignore him?

Whatever they were, it wasn’t healthy, and Marcus was man enough to admit he did not want to stick around long enough for the wolves to realise his secret. Even if James didn’t mock him for it, Daniel most certainly would.

“Wait up,” an arm swung him bodily around.

“Whoa. Hey. hand’s off dude,” Theo said, tearing the other boy’s arm off Marcus’.

It was moments like this which reminded Marcus exactly why this guy became his best friend.

“Someone there?” a flashlight filtered through the trees.

The entire group paused in sync. A look between all of them before they were all taking off in different directions. As he was Theo’s ride, the other boy stuck close by.

“Dude, that was close. Was that your dad?”

He huffed, “No, but it was someone with a police voice, so best we ran while we could.”

“Fuck yeah,” the other cheered as they reached the street.

It was most likely gone eleven by now. The sun had set. The street lights were great, but he would feel better once he was at home. Safe. preferably in his room. His own bed.

“What a night. Crime scene, attacked by a freaking bat, and those douche canoes. We best get home before something else happens.”

It was a joke, but Marcus could feel something watching them from the trees they had just exited. Even as they walked down the street the woods felt like they were moving with them. If he saw flashing eyes, he decided it was most likely owls and tricks of the light.

When they stumbled through the front door, he forced Theo to sit on the same stool he’d sat on eating pancakes.

“Dude, I’m fine. It’s just a few scratches.”

“A wild animal attacked you.”

Theo scoffed at the word ‘attacked’, but Marcus chose to ignore him.

“It’s just a few scratches.”

“One scratch is all it takes for you to get infected.”

“I’m pretty sure rabies is through bites.”

Marcus pointed to the two pinpricks on the back on his arm, “Then you’re doubly screwed. And since you won’t go to the hospital–”

He ignored the protests about not needing a hospital. Marcus also opted to remain deaf to any mother henning comments as well.

“We need to clean it here.”

He continued unperpetrated. Grabbing the disinfectant. Whilst he was doing that he made a mental note to make a poultice of garlic, Himalayan salt and vitamin C. That should kill any potential nasties off.

“Take these,” he handed the other a bottle of vitamin C tablets.

“Dude, I don’t have a cold.”

“Vitamin C is nature’s best defence against infections and viruses. If you think you’ve caught something, 10,000mg, or ten of those tablets, taken on the hour for eight hours, will flush your entire system. Wiping out everything.”

“Are you trying to give me the shits?”

“No, I’m trying to help your immune system fight off anything nasty.”

“I’d rather not.”

He wanted to shout at the other, but how could he explain how potentially serious the situation was without sounding like a crazy person? Marcus could be overreacting. It could have been a normal bat. It could have been nothing. Just freak behaviour with the heat. They’d had more than one mountain lion attack, actually cougars and coyotes (not their shifter cousins) of late. Bats were also being negatively affected by climate change. It wasn’t impossible.

No matter how he tried to look at the situation, he knew better. Even without the shadows laughing in the background, he’d have known it was unlikely to be a coincidence. They’d been in a place coated in death. Not simply the recent loss of life, but the lingering sense of a reaper still waiting on hand. He often got that feeling at the hospital. Where the spirits from the other plane were congregating for when they would be called.

That a bat had attacked Theo in a place that felt like death, it made more sense for this to be supernatural than simply a little preternatural. Maybe he should have asked James. Would the wolf know if it had been a vampire? Would he be able to tell if his friend was infected with the vampire virus? Before he could grab his phone and message the surly wolf, he decided it could all wait until the morning.

“Before we go to bed, let me put this on your wounds.”

It was a concoction he had made in case he was ever attacked, well by anything. It wasn’t specifically for vampires, but it was the best anti-supernatural cream he could make. Slathering it all over Theo’s arms made him relax a little. Hopefully, it would do the job.

“Morning boys,” his father said from the table.

The large wooden structure sat between the kitchen and living room area. The open plan of the downstairs meant the furniture blocked out where the main areas were, but other than main meals, they rarely used the table. Except for his dad, who sat there before every shit, usually drinking at least two cups of coffee.

“Morning dad/Matthew,” he and Theo replied in unison.

His dad was sitting at the coffee table finishing off his breakfast.

“Late night?” he asked, rather than commenting on the large suitcases beneath the deputy’s eyes.

“Yes,” he coughed, his dad wasn’t a smoker any longer, but years of the habit had left him with a bit of a phlegmy cough in the mornings. “We got an update from the coroner.”

He spun around from the coffee pot, “Yeah?”

“Yes,” his dad gave a flick of a look in Theo’s direction.

The boy pretended to be absorbed in pouring himself some cereal. No one was buying it, but plausible deniability.

“It will probably be all around the town soon enough anyway,” the man sighed, cupping the mug in his hands, blowing the steam away. “The boy didn’t drown. Or he did, but not enough to kill him. It looks like he was drowned, resuscitated, and likely drowned again. It was his heart that eventually did the poor boy in.”

“Jesus,” he slipped into the chair next to his father. Letting the strong wooden frame take all his weight as he slumped in it.

“Wait, he died of a heart attack?” Theo asked from the kitchen, before realising he wasn’t supposed to be listening and turning back away.

Marcus had to snort at that. His best friend was ridiculous.

“Yes, Marcus,” his father stressed the name, pretending it hadn’t been Theo who had asked.

Marcus doubted legally it would make much difference. Discussing an active case was still discussing an active case, but he was happy to play along if it meant gaining information.

“He did die of a heart attack in the end. We’re not sure if the boy managed to save himself above the water somehow, but given it was a pool he could have easily stood up, we’re assuming he had help.”

“Help?”

“Someone was purposely drowning him. Or someone found him as he was drowning. But then it wouldn’t make sense to put him back in the water if it had been an accident. So Rod likely did not die of natural causes,” he translated for his friend.

The boy took the seat next to him at the table. Munching down the cereal as though he had not just learnt their schoolmate had been murdered. He envied Theo’s simplicity sometimes.

“So he was drowned, and then lived, but his heart gave out?”

“It’s looking that way, but it’s what the coroner said that I can’t shake.”

“What did she say?” Marcus was assuming the coroner his dad was referring to was Bella, she was the main coroner for the three nearest towns.

“She said it was like he had been scared to death.”