A week had passed since the episode with his dream and the pendant had rattled Jove, but he was not going to allow that to mess with his head. He planned to continue to enjoy the time he had left. It was evening time and he decided to watch some TV. He was flipping through channels, trying to find something to watch.
Click.
“Come on down, we got what you need. Here at Jacks Auto we take trade-ins. No credit? No problem, credit approval as long as you make $150 a week, we can finance you!” He wished, he was not going to even be able to get a job and save up for a car.
Click.
“Is the weather getting you down? Are you unhappy? Is the…” Ugh no he did not need some magic pill for his anxiety, at least he hopped not.
Click.
“Ooh I like this one.” To be able to do mundane things thought Jove, he sat to watch a movie. The movie called ‘Wolves of LA County’ a cheesy B rated flick.
“Yet again there has been an attack on a Los Angeles citizen by what seems to be a wild animal. No sightings of the animal have been reported yet. Local police are baffled as to what kind of animal has been attacking citizens in LA. Lt. Cartwright of the LA Police Dept. gave this statement.”
Close up on a podium a well decorated LT steps up to the microphone. “Our whole department in conjunction with other local authorities is working on this case. We have contacted animal experts that will be arriving tomorrow to examine the bodies and their injuries to see what kind of animal is lose on the streets. We have some suspicions, from some of the bites it’s possible that it is a wolf. Please stay indoors after nightfall and keep your doors locked and windows closed.” He steps down from the podium with a slew of questions behind him. “Click” TV is turned off.
A thin man dressed in a flannel shirt, jeans and boots turns to his partner, “Joe the attacks are continuing we have to find them before they move on.”
Joe knows what’s behind these attacks as well as the man speaking. “I know Scott, I know.” Joe gets up and goes to the kitchen or what passes for a kitchen in this roach filled motel and gets a cup of coffee. He would like something with a little more kick, but he can’t afford to be caught less then prepared, it’s been a while since he has enjoyed some hard drinks.
Looking at his partner, “We have been here for a week, and they have found four dead people. Not to mention those they have yet to find. We have not had any luck locating their hideout. They’re covering their tracks well, or someone is covering it for them, I think they have someone else helping them. And if I’m not mistaken there is more than just werewolves out there.” He pauses, “we need local help, call Jake and see if he knows people that can lend us a hand down here.” Joe puts his empty cup down moves to the door getting his jacket and donning it, “I’ll see if I can find more information, someone will talk” leaving the room.
Joe gets into his truck and drives off. Both Joe and Scott have been hunting this pack for a while Joe much longer than Scott. Somehow, they have evaded them time and time again. It has been two years since he began tracking the pack. They started out in Wyoming where they had left fifteen dead in a small town before going underground and disappearing from the map. Joe was able to take one of them down, almost got killed in the process.
He had shot the werewolf before he could get to the victim. Scott his now partner. If it wasn’t for Joe, Scott would have been puppy chow. Joe had shot the wolf like creature five times, and it went down hard. Scott thought the creature dead for sure. Scott had not heard the truck drive up his heart was beating so hard from the fright the creature had given him, he heard the shots and saw the creature go down, a voice came from the person that had shot it, “If I where you mister, I move away and then run, it’s not dead yet, its only recuperating.”
Scott was skeptical, “You have to be joking, you just shot it full of holes. It has to be dead.” In response to this the creature rose snarled and launches itself at Scott. Scott hears a single shot and the creature flying backwards and land with a thud, it raised its head to the air and howls like a wolf before it twitches and the howl dies. Scott presumes the creature dead, but he could not avert his eyes afraid that again it was just playing possum.
He heard the truck behind him start then the voice of the man that had shot the wolf creature, “Your lucky mister that I’ve been tracking these guys. If I were off been here a minute later, you would have been their next meal.” A moment later a distant howling is heard followed by more howling coming from a different direction.
Joe looks at the man in the truck and asks startled. “What is that? It sounded like more of these creatures.”
“Get in the truck! If we leave now, we might be able to outrun them. Hurry!” That is all that Scott needed to hear running to the passenger side. As he jumps in the driver floors the accelerator before he can even close his door. The truck skids on the dirt momentarily created a cloud of dust and there off. The sounds of howling can be heard now closer than before.
‘Click’ Jove turned off the TV.
Jove loved the silly movie it was one of his favorites, but it was late, and he needed to get some rest. Since the episode the first couple of days he had been scared to fall asleep and something strange would happen again, but nothing happened. Jove’s life had returned to some form of normality. His birthday was coming up in a few weeks and his parents had plans to throw him a party and a few of his friends and classmates would be showing up for it.
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The next morning Jove decides he would visit Robert. His friend has gotten his acceptance letter to a prestigious college and would be leaving home at the end of the summer. He has not had a chance to visit him, he wanted to talk to him and tell him about the dream and see how he was doing. He decided to walk there rather than get the car keys from his parents. A lot of the kids in school had cars but for some reason Jove has never really been interested in getting a car preferring to walk to most places. “Mom I am going to go visit Robert alright, I will see you later.” His mom nodded at him telling him to be careful on his way there.
Walking and alone with his thoughts for company he looked down the road towards his friend’s house. Before he got there, he heard a small meow coming from a bush he was passing by, disturbed from his thinking he decided to investigate. The meowing got insistent now, must be a small kitty that wants its mother Jove assumed. Getting on his knees and hands he crawled into the small space by the bush and found a small kitten. The kitten looked up at Jove and meowed again ‘Are you, my mother?’ it seemed to ask. “I’m sorry little one, I’m not your mother.” The kitten walked slowly towards Jove stopping out of reach meowing again ‘Mother?’ Jove stretched his arm out showing the kitty his hand, the kitten began moving forward smelling the hand. Finally, being careful the kitten began to sniff the proffered hand, sensing no danger he lets Jove pet it.
Jove grabbing the kitten to get out got a few scratches as he was backing out. With the kitten in one hand, he dusts himself off with the other. “Come on little one, will find your mother.” But the kitten knows it’s found its mother and meows content ‘Mother’ before getting comfortable in the crook of Jove’s arm and chest started to purr then proceeding to fall asleep. The kitten is white with a grayish black tail and a grayish black patch by his right ear. Not knowing what to do about the kitten Jove continued his way to Robert’s place.
His friend has been expecting him since Jove called ahead and when he knocks on the door Robert opens it and greets him. Today Robert is wearing his normal attire, but the shirt is plain black and the bottom off his eyes are black with makeup adding to his goth look. “Come on let’s go up to my room.” Jove nods and follows, “oh and what’s with the cat?” Jove looking down at the kitten, he had totally forgotten about him, and he had just found him a few minutes earlier.
“I found him just now. He was down the street in a bush meowing. I don’t know I just thought it was the right thing to do get him out and find its mother.” He looks at the sleeping form of the kitten and smiles, such a pretty thing. His friend shrugs and continues to his room. Now in Roberts room, Jove sits on a chair with the kitten still sleeping on his arm. “Put him down on the bed he will be comfortable there.” Jove nods putting the kitten down on the bed, the kitten meows once then fell asleep again.
“It’s a nice little kitty, I would prefer an all-black one if I had one. That one suits you. You going to keep it?” Jove had not really thought about that at all, he was thinking of finding its mother or whoever it belonged to.
“I don’t know. Probably ask around first, then if I find no one I will think about it. For now, I guess I’m keeping it.” Really the thought had not crossed his mind at all. He never really had a pet, but with the changes that were going to occur in his life the thought of having a kitten as a pet was not a bad idea. He would have to get permission from his parents to keep the kitten. He turned his attention back to his friend.
“So, what’s up? Haven’t seen you in a few days. What you been up to?” Robert always straight to the point he did not beat around the bush.
One thing that Jove loved about him, the other being that they had been friends for a long time and Robert had never let him down. They were like brothers and Jove could always count on him to listen to concerns that he could not even admit to his parents. It helped that they were best friends, both boys and of the same age. It was so easy to talk to him he would not laugh at anything that Jove said unless it was an actual joke. His jokes were not always great, but Robert at least would laugh even at those.
“I’m fine, but.” How could he start this business about the dream? He was not sure how to put it, the more he thought about it the more ridiculous it sounded.
“Spit it out Jove, it’s me you’re talking to. Good old Robert, we been able to tell each other things that we would not tell anyone else. Just say it and don’t worry about anything.” Robert was right they had always been able to talk but this was somehow different. He would just say what had happen and see what his friend thought. So, he told his friend what he had not been able to tell his parents. At the end his friend said nothing for a few minutes.
Smiling he said, “You sly dog. Let me get some of your stash, it sounds like good stuff. Where can I get some of what your smoking, I would not mind some dreams like that.”
It hit Jove like a brick his friend thought he was on drugs. Well now that he looked back at everything, he had experience he could see how it could seem that way. It was possible that it was all a hallucination, but how did it explain the amulet, an amulet that he was still wearing around his throat. He reached for it unconsciously, then he took it out and pulled it above his head and handed it to Robert.
Losing his smile Robert took it and looked at it. Jove could see it all in his mind the chain made from silver or something like it, the jewel that had the green hue of an emerald surrounded by a silver ring to hold it in place. “Damn this thing must be worth a fortune. And you said your uncle gave it to you?” Jove just nodded his head at this, “man I don’t know what to tell you. It’s an interesting dream you had that’s for sure.”
“I’m not on drugs, you would know if I was on something you know I can’t hide something this serious from you.” And it was true, once Jove had broken an arm from one of Roberts action figures when they were kids and Jove felt so guilty, he could not lie to his friend and keep this act from him. Robert never made a big deal about it. He could never keep any secrets from his friend he could try but there never really any reason for that. “I don’t know if it was a dream or if it was real. Maybe it came to me from the stuff we drank at the graduation party. I was really sick that morning and did not feel that great when I went to bed that evening.” He hoped it was only a dream, but a dream did not explain the amulet.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“I’m sorry I was just playing. But man, what you tell me sounds so unreal, man would I have loved to of been there with you.” Robert was excited about what had happened to his friend, but Jove could not share his excitement everything that had happen to him was so vivid so real. He shuddered thinking about it.
“No, I don’t think you would have liked it as much as you think you would have. It was weird Robert; the whole thing was weird.” Roberts’s excitement had not gone from his face.
“Nah I think I would have enjoyed it. Sounds like fun to me. I like weird you know that.” Yeah, that was true Robert had gotten into liking some strange and weird things since he had gotten into his Goth phase.
“OK fine maybe you would have liked it. Anyways enough of that I don’t want to think about it anymore. How are you doing? And are you excited to about the college thing?” Now that he had told his friend about his dream, he felt a little bit better, Robert always did that to him he was always able to put him at ease.
Robert handed him back the amulet, “I’m fine, and as far as school is concerned, I’m not really thrilled about it, to tell you the truth I’m a bit scared about leaving.” Robert scared. That was kind of funny since his friend was never scared.
Jove decided to mess with his friend, “Is little Robert going to miss his Mommy and Daddy. The poor baby.” Robert started laughing at this and soon Jove joined him, there laughter was stopped for a moment by a meow coming from Roberts’s bed they both turned to look at the kitten that had a funny look of, ‘You two woke me up. Quit it I’m trying to sleep here.’ This sent them on a new fit of laughter that ended with both having tears coming down their cheeks. Until a knock at the door stopped their laughter, still laughing a little Robert opened the door, it was his mom.
This sent both into another fit of laughter. Robert’s mom looked at one boy than the other, then at Roberts bed where the kitten was looking at them, “What’s going on here? What’s with all this funny business and what’s with the cute kitten.” Finally, the laughter died down and Robert was able to answer his mother, “It was a joke that Jove said Mom. Oh, and the kitten, Jove found it down the block.”
“Must have been a funny joke. I just came up here to see if you two needed anything. I am running to store and wanted to see if you needed anything.” Robert told his mom to pick him up some more pop, some sugar filled products, he did not specify on the candy he wanted since his mom would normally bring back the wrong thing every time. She left and Robert closed the door.
“So, you want to play some video games for a bit, just relax and let me kick your behind like usual.” Robert was always better at the games than Jove.
He could beat him at a few but only a few of the games Robert owned. “You’re on, loser makes the other lunch.”
Robert grinning and nodding at the bet. “Ok Chef Jove I want….”
But Jove did not let him finish. “Hold on a second. You haven’t won yet.” So, they got to playing some games the first round went to Jove, and then the second, and then the third. No matter what Robert did, today he could not beat his friend, somehow every game they played Jove would win.
“What’s going on? You have to be cheating somehow normally I win most of the games we play.”
Jove was as perplexed as his friend, normally he did win most of the games but today he had lost every single one, “I don’t know. Maybe it’s just my lucky day.” He smiled at his friend, yeah must be his lucky day.
“Right. And I’m a monkey’s uncle. Ok that’s enough winning, will play my favorite game and see if you can beat me.” He went to his closet got out a game that Jove had yet to beat Robert at. They set up the board and began playing. Somehow Jove won this game as well. “No fair!” Cried Robert, “how can you win every single one. You got to be cheating.” He put away the board game. “Ok where’s the four-leaf clover or your lucky rabbits’ foot. Or are you hiding a lucky horseshoe in your pocket.” Robert was messing with his friend; he knew full well that Jove did not carry any such items.
“I was just lucky on that last throw of the dice, you almost won. But you lost Chef Robert, now I’ll take it easy on you. Make me a Bologna and Turkey sandwich I know you got some. Oh, and throw on some lettuce, tomato, onions, and pepper chinos. Oh, and I’ll take a little mayonnaise not too much a pickle on the side. And what else do I want?”
Jove kept on messing with his friend. “Oh, and some chips it doesn’t matter what kind, whatever you got in the kitchen will do. Chop, chop Chef Robert I await my lunch I will take it on the patio by the pool.” They did not have a pool, or a patio he was just messing with his friend since he had already announced that he would win before they even started.
Robert at this point was a little mad, “Oh I’m gonna make you a sandwich alright but you might not like it. Come on Jove how did you cheat. There is no way you could of beat me so many times. No forget it, I’ll make you your sandwich. Come on let’s go to the kitchen will get a little meat for the cat or something.” They went to the kitchen and Robert made Jove his sandwich and one for himself, after they had finished their sandwiches, they took a small bowl with some milk for the kitten upstairs.
Jove set the bowl down on the floor and got the kitten up, he had to poke him a few times since he would not wake up. “Come on lazy pants get up and drink some milk.” The kitten finally woke up and looked at Jove and meowed ‘Mother’ Jove picked him up and put him down by the bowl of milk. The kitten yawned once and then smelled the bowl and its contents, then started lapping up the milk.
Jove sat down and just looked at the kitten drink his milk, Robert surprised him with a question, “Why do you wear it Jove?” It took him a minute to figure out what his friend was asking. Then it hit, he was asking about the amulet.
“It just feels right.” Jove had not really taken it off many times since he put it on during his dream. When he did take it off, he felt naked, it sounded strange but that is how he felt like if something of him was missing. He did not tell all his friend all this, just that it felt right to have it on.
“Ok. I was just wondering about it. You seemed disturbed about what happen to you, and I thought that it might make you feel uncomfortable to wear it.” It was strange but it made him feel better to have it on. Robert was bringing up a good point, he did not really understand why he felt this way, just that he did. “No big deal if it feels right then wear it.” Robert changed the subject to Jove’s relief, “So you ready for the party? And is Anna gonna be there?” Robert had a crush on Anna but had never told her, to Jove it seemed like she felt the same way, but they did not say anything to each other. There were a few girls he liked but at this point there was nothing he could pursue with everything that was happening.
“Ready as I’ll ever be. And as far as Anna is concerned, you know perfectly well I invited her, and she accepted. I don’t know why you just don’t talk to her.” Robert was embarrassed red coming into his pale features.
“You know why I don’t talk to her. She would not go out with a guy like me Jove not in a million years.” Jove did not believe that for one minute there was more to it than that, but he would not press his friend. The subject was to personal and even though they both told each other everything there was a few personal things that they did not say out loud. This one subject was one Jove did not broach much with his friend other than encouraging him to ask her out.
“I think you should talk to her. You never know and you’re leaving at the end of the summer so if she doesn’t go out with you, big deal. I’m sure you can find someone in this college you’re going to.” Jove hopped his friend would talk to Anna and see if she wanted to go out. It was late afternoon now and he needed to head back home, “Well its late I think I should head home.” Robert asked if he wanted to wait for his mom to come back so he could give him a ride, but he said no he would walk. Robert offered Jove a small basket to carry the kitten in. Jove left his friend’s house with his new little friend.
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He arrived at home twenty minutes later, he went in and looked for his mom, he found her in the kitchen making dinner. “Mom I’m home.” She looked up at her son and saw the basket he was carrying and from it a small head peaked out and issued a meow which startled Jove’s mom.
“Jove, what do you have there?” She moved closer to look at the little animal in the basket.
“A kitten mom, I found him when I went to visit Robert. He was lost and I am going to try and find out who he belongs to.” Jove had gotten a little attached to the small kitten, but he had said he would find the owners if possible and if he could not then he would just wait on the decision of what he would do when the day came.
Jove’s mother reached in and took the kitten out, “Oh look at him Jove what a cutie.” She started to scratch behind the kitten’s ear which made him start purring loving all the attention. “His adorable, let me get him some milk.” She handed the kitten to Jove and got him some milk and put it on the counter, and Jove let him go.
The kitten sniffed at the milk, turned, and looked at Jove and meowed. “It’s ok, go on and drink it it’s safe.” With that the kitten started to lap away at the milk in the bowl.
“Can I keep him mom? Until I find who he belongs to and return him to them.” But she was not paying attention to Jove she was looking at the kitten, “Mom?”
She turned to Jove, “Oh I’m sorry Jove, his just so adorable. Um I’m sure your father will be ok if we keep him around. You know his not to big on pets. But since your gonna look for the owners, it should be ok. Now are you hungry? I can make you something really quick.”
“No thanks mom, I ate a sandwich at Roberts. I’ll wait for dad to get home from work.” It was late in the afternoon and his father would be home in a few hours and dinner would not be too far off. He was a little thirsty. “I’m just a little thirsty I’ll grab whatever you got to drink.” There were no real sodas in the house the family was not real big into drinking caffeinated drinks. More than likely there was juice in the refrigerator.
“There is some lemonade I made earlier today, it should be nice and cool right now.” She handed him a glass and he got his drink, the lemonade was just right, just enough sugar to make it sweet but not enough to make it too sweet. He was glad that he was not too big on soda’s because this thing of his family not drinking them would have killed him. He drank some from time to time with his friends or at school but that was it. His father drank a cup of coffee in the morning that was about the only caffeine that he drank so Jove drank coffee from time to time, but he was not a big fan. There was a local coffee shop that he would go to with Robert once a month just to sit down and talk. He would miss that, even though he was not a big fan of coffee sometimes he enjoyed it specially with his friend to keep him company.
Jove took a seat, and he drank his lemonade remembering and thinking about all the things he would miss when he left. He was brought out of his reverie when the kitten jumped on his lap and meowed ‘mother?’ how Jove understood the inquiry from the kitten as mother he had no real clue, but the meow sounded as if that was what he was asking. “No little one I am not your mother, but I will act as your mother until we find where your real mother is.” Jove did not know that the search would not end with him finding the kitten’s mother, but he would try either way.
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His father arrived as he always did, came in the door and from the entrance, he called out, “Honey, Son I’m home.” The routine was the same daily he would come in the door call out to his son and wife, set his briefcase down take of his hat and jacket and hang it on the rack by the door. Jove’s mother would go and greet him, in her housewife outfit, which consisted of a flowery dress and apron since she was in the process of cooking dinner. Ah the mundane things his parents did, he would miss that too.
Jove got up so greet his dad and left the kitten in the kitchen, his mom returning to the kitchen to finish dinner. “Hey Dad, how was work?”
His father looked at Jove and saw that there was something that his son wanted to ask but did not press him, “Just another day son. It was not too bad, but it gets boring at times when it gets slow. And today for the most part in the afternoon it was slow so it seemed as if the day would not come to an end.” Jove’s father stretched “How about you how was your day?”
Jove started to tell his father about his day then he got to his trip to Robert’s house “… so I was walking to Roberts, and I heard a meow, and then I heard it again I looked around but saw nothing. So, I waited for it and followed the sound, and under a bush I found a kitten. And took him to Roberts…” He did not quite get to finish his story since the kitten had gotten out of the kitchen and jumped on his father’s lap and proceeded to get comfortable. His father was surprised and said nothing at first.
“I take it this is the kitten you found.” He looked at Jove and waited for a response.
“That would be him, can I keep him until I find who he belongs to? I am going to look around tomorrow.” Jove knew that his father did not particularly care for pets just like his mom had told him earlier, he knew his dad would allow him to keep him for now. To Jove’s surprise his dad started to scratch the kitten’s chin. “I guess we can keep him for a bit.” Jove’s mother came in and a sound of surprise came from her when she saw the kitten on her husband’s lap and him scratching under his chin.
“George, I see our little guest has introduced himself.” She was smiling as she said this.
“Yes, he has, and his made himself at home on my lap.” George continued to pet the kitten seeing this Molly went back to finish dinner. She had been a little worried that the kitten had gotten out, guess she did not need to worry about it.
Fifteen minutes later dinner was done, “Well little one it’s time for me to get up and eat dinner so I will need you to move.” Before George made any moves to get the kitten of his lap the kitten got up on his own and moved as if he understood everything that Jove’s father had said. “Wow. His a smart one, even seems as if he understood what I was saying.” Both Jove and his father got up and went to eat dinner, and their new house guest made himself comfortable and went to sleep.