Hairwolf
Chapter Twenty Five

Stef, Foster, Lillian and Brizzbee exit to the rear of the restaurant.

“How did you find me?” Stef asks Foster.

“Game trail cameras. A few months back we were tracking migratory birds at the lake. When we reviewed the footage, we saw something very different jump off of the cliff into the lake. Really thought it was a Big Foot.”

“Yeah!” Lillian says. “That’d have been my first clue. Oh, look. Something large and furry’s doing a swan dive into the lake. Got to be a Bigfoot. Unbelievable.”

Stef loves her sarcasm and can’t stop laughing. Lillian takes the moment to lay down her own ground rules to Stef.

“Listen to me. There’s only one way I’m going to be good with any of this shit and that’s if I’m going. So don’t give me any crap about it. Any of you.”

Brizzbee is the first to start, “Lillian, that’s really not a...”

“...What’d I just say? Repeat it for me so we could all hear it.”

“I’m not saying you can’t. I’m just sayin it’s not a good idea.” Brizz says.

“I don’t get the feeling anything we say is going to matter,” Foster says with Stef in total agreement.

Lillian spies a small Flea Market across the street. “Oh. I’ll be right back.”

Brizzbee sets out behind her.

Alone, Stef and Foster stand near his vehicle looking out over the expanse of lake down below.

“I got to tell you, Stef, you’re the last thing I thought we’d find. The werewolf, I mean. It just never occurred to either of us.”

Stef smiles, looking back at the view. It’s clear something is troubling her.

“What?” Foster asks, taking notice.

“I’m not a typically aggressive werewolf. I mean, I guess I can be, if provoked. But I’m not a fighter. I don’t know what’s going to happen if it is Ominous. I know he’s a fighter.”

“You’re afraid.”

“Concerned. You can trap him, can’t you? She asks. “I mean, you have to plan on catching the strongest thing you’ve ever captured and then multiply it several times. And I’m just basing that on

my own strength.”

“We did plan for a Bigfoot.”

“You’re not catching Bigfoot, David. At least not with that cage.” She turns towards the lake view and looks out. They’re bigger but he’s – not to be messed with.”

He stands dumbfounded, “Really?”

“Don’t tell Lillian.”

“You’ve seen a Bigfoot?”

“You’d be amazed at what I’ve seen.”

“You sure I can’t interest you in an application? I could really use someone like you out there.”

She smiles, not taking him seriously. But he’s dead serious.

She pauses at the over-look, captivated by the view. Small islands dot the vast lake. It’s pristine. There’s no housing visible on the islands, but lots of sailboats, motorboats, and jet skis.

“As much as I’d love to be a part of helping animals, I really can’t take the risk of being seen.”

“Then maybe we could work something out on the QT.”

She’s locked in on the view, trying to avoid the conversation. Foster sees this and changes the subject.

“Are you aware of what you are? I mean, when you’re – her?”

“Yes. But that’s all she knows. She has no idea she’s me. Know what I mean? When I’m all fur, that’s all I know.”

After a moment Foster says, matter-of-factly, “Boy they’re going to have to rewrite the books on this.”

She grows silent. She knows it’s all just a matter of time before her world is no longer hers. Then what will she do? Where will she go? It’s not likely society will leave her be. Her world is getting

smaller and she knows it. She looks back over at the fields. The fields that lead to the forest. It’s a thick forest. Deep forest. She could run. She wants to run.

“Please don’t,” Foster says, breaking her thoughts. I didn’t mean that literally. It’s just that ignorance can be more dangerous than knowledge. I look at you and I see a woman who could use some help. Although I’m not sure you’re comfortable with asking. I guess the best part of all of this is you obviously like it.”

“It’s all I’ve ever known,” she says embracing herself. “I’m a part of her and she’s a part of me.”

“So I’m guessing you’re not married. It’s had to have an effect on your personal life.”

“What personal life?”

“So you’ve never been in love?”

“No,” she says, finding it odd he’d ask such a personal question. “How would I fall in love? Love

takes time. Trust. And I’d be going in with one big lie. My options for a social life are a lot more narrow than most.”

“I wouldn’t close the door on any of that. There are worse things that can happen to a guy than finding out his girlfriend is a werewolf.”

“Like what,” she blurts out, laughing?

He looks away brushing off the humor.

“Oh, hell no,” Stef says, pumped up. “You are not going to walk away from that one. I want to hear everything.”

“Maybe another time,” he says.

“Oh, no. Sorry. It ain’t working that way. I’ve been spilling my guts all morning. Your turn. Let’s go. Come on. Put it out there.”

“There’s nothin to tell. We married, three years later she met someone else and we divorced.”

“And you’ve been single ever since because of it?”

“I’ve dated, just nothing serious. Trust is a fragile thing,” he says.

“It is. But I don’t think that’s what did you in,” she says.

“Well it did do a number on my confidence.”

“Confidence.”

“It was very clear he was a better choice than I was.”

“If you ask me they both turned out to be the losers in that deal. What did he get? A woman who’s willing to cheat on her husband? You should be elated you got rid of that skank. And I wouldn’t worry about the confidence thing, Warden Foster. You exude it,” Stef adds.

“Oh. Okay. So I guess dinner wouldn’t be out of the question?”

“You want to have dinner with me?”

“It’s a little sudden, but yeah. Sure. Thought you’d never ask,” he jokes.

“Wow. Breakfast and dinner. Wait a minute. How do I know it’s me you want to get to know and not her?”

“I want to get to know you both.”

That was unexpected. She’s silent, trying to navigate her way through the new territory. Her world has been filled with abandonment, isolation and survival. And survival, which is her strongest suit, rears its ugly head with, “why don’t you ask me tomorrow. Right now you think I’m a werewolf. Tomorrow you’ll know.”

“So – that’s a yes. Good. I know a nice little vegetarian eatery on the outside of town.”

“You’ll do vegetarian?”

“No. No, no, no, no. Let’s not get crazy.”

Foster reaches out for her hand.

“What are you doing?”

He raises it to his chin and stops as if waiting for permission. She’s never experienced this before.

She’s curious as to what he’s doing. She nods. He raises her hand to his lips and kisses it softly, keeping constant eye contact with her. It’s the eye contact that mesmerizes her. There’s trust in his eyes. But more than that, hope. With him, there wouldn’t be any hiding of what she is. He already knows – or will know by tomorrow. For her, the impossible is suddenly possible. But who’s to say. She reels back her emotions but leaves out her hand.

He lowers it, ever so slowly, and lets it go. She glides it to her stomach like a possession, holding

on to it, protecting it. Keeping the moment fresh, alive, and safe if only for another second.

Lillian and Brizzbee return from the flea market, each carrying a small purchase.

“Alright,” Brizzbee announces, wringing his hands together, “I got it – a plan for tonight.” He looks at Stef with a childlike smile. “Trust me? You know what? It doesn’t matter. We’re doing it anyway.” Without skipping a beat, Brizz marches straight to the truck, “come on.

We’ll drop you off. We have things to do. Not to mention getting some sleep. It’s going to

be a long night.”

Foster’s on board with it and heads to the truck. It’s okay for him to not always be in control. He holds the rear door open for Stef. Brizz holds Lillian’s door open.

“Thank you. You have very nice manners.”

“I had good parenting.”

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