His Soft Fur

It was bright outside when I woke up in my room. I had to check if we were going to be out of school today and by the guess of all the snow that was still here, we were. More clouds filled the sky, but it wasn’t dark, the sun wasn't completely covered.

I went to brush my teeth and I cleaned around my room. When I was done, I went downstairs.

“Mom? Dad?” I called out.

No answer.

I turned on the TV and changed the channel to the news. The first thing I heard was that there was no school today. We’re going to be in school all throughout the summer because of bad weather.

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. What am I going to do today?

That wasn't what left me confused.

Did I forget something?...

I looked around for a second.

Outside! There’s a sick wolf outside!

I ran to the porch door but remembered its cold outside and I didn’t nearly have as much clothes on as I should to be out there. Instead, I went down to the basement to check. I crossed my arms over my chest when I felt the cold air as I looked outside the window and glass door.

I didn’t see a fluff of white.

There wasn't a white wolf anywhere.

But there was a body.

My heart sank into my stomach as my jaw dropped. I didn't believe there was a body in the snow. When I peered closer, I could make out the shape of their arms and legs in the snow.

What in the hell is someone doing outside in this weather?

And they have no clothes on! They were naked and almost buried in the snow, unconscious. I hadn't stopped panicking.

At first I wasn't sure what to do. I was just looking because I was so confused and shocked. I have to do something, right? I can't just leave them out there.

I cursed under my breath and looked around for shoes to wear so I could go get the person that was out there. When I got boots on, I ran out there. I didn't...

I just stared at the body in the snow while I had all these thoughts run through my mind. They aren't...dead? Right? How long have they been out here? I was... I don't know. I tugged at their arm and found it to be extremely hot. Not normal body temperature hot, extremely hot.

The snow was melting around them.

I tried my best to get them up, but this person weighed more than I did. My eagerness to get out of the cold was the only thing that drove me to get inside. I pulled the person back into the basement and shut the door.

I turned the body over.

I recognized his face. That's Ty! At first, I thought I was delusional, but that was definitely Ty Martin.

No, no, no, no. That’s not possible.

Where did he come from?

Who dropped him here like this?

He was still unconscious but he wasn't turning blue. I should get something for him to wear. I should get him to bed. I should call the police! There were so many things I should do but I was completely stuck. I wasn’t going to make it with him upstairs so I was thankful that I could move him in one of the rooms down here in the basement.

There's a missing person in my basement.

Oh my God.

What am I supposed to do with that information?

After I stopped panicking I went upstairs to boil some hot water and then up to my room to get some clothes to put on him and a lot of blankets I could put on his body. I went back downstairs to turn off the stove when the water started boiling. I put in some of that instant hot chocolate powder.

I took everything with me to the basement. He was still breathing, he wasn’t turning blue, and he was warm. He should wake up soon, right? He won’t die, right?

I was concerned. How long has he been there? Who would put him in the snow like that? I should call someone who knows how to handle this but I...I didn't. Not yet.

I dressed him in my clothes and got him under a few blankets. All of that took me a while and by the time I was done, I was tired.

That’s Ty alright.

He may have been gone two months, but by the way he looked, it seemed like it was longer. I could see the strain on his face even while he was asleep. His curly hair got much longer, being able to brush over his eyes.

I touched his face to see if he was still warm, but he was just as hot as he was in the snow. He might start sweating with all the layers I put on him, but it's better than him freezing to death.

Where was he?

He was gone for two months.

Who did this to him?

I should call the police. I should get him to a hospital. But I didn’t move from the chair that was in the corner of the room. I had no logical explanation for why I didn't call someone that could handle this situation better than I could. My hands were shaking in my lap because I was stunned.

He should be okay. He should... he'll be fine.

I dozed off after a while.

I woke up again, my eyes tired, and my body sore because I was curled up in a chair. I checked the time on my phone. It's only been an hour. I yawned and stretched a bit, looking towards the bed to see if Ty was still asleep.

He was gone.

My heart sank in my stomach and I was about to get up until I found him looking out the window. I took a deep breath of relief because that was the only way I was going to feel better.

He's awake. That’s a good sign.

I didn’t know what to say to him. He was looking outside with this painful expression, like he couldn’t remember what happened or how he got here. I didn’t even have answers for him either.

“Are...you okay?” I asked him, slightly hesitant. He glanced back towards me slowly, realizing I was awake.

“I’m fine.” he said quietly and looked away again to look outside.

“Do you remember anything?” I asked.

He didn't answer at first. He probably didn't hear me, or maybe he's just having a hard time processing how he was here or what was going on.

“Not... really.” he was focusing on something else. His eyes seemed far away. “How long has it been since I...?” he asked.

Does he really not remember?

“Almost three months.” I answered.

It looked like he wanted to go back outside in the snow. He wanted to leave. I know I should call someone to help him. What if he got injured? What if someone hurt him? My phone was in my hand and I was tempted to call and report that I found a missing person but I held on for a second.

I know he doesn’t want to talk to me, but he might talk to someone else who might actually be able to help him.

After a little longer, he came and sat down on the bed. He stared at the hot chocolate but he didn’t take it; instead, he just wrinkled his nose, almost in disgust and looked away. I guess he doesn't like hot chocolate which is okay, I guess. I could get him something else.

I didn't ask at first.

He stayed quiet, not even knowing what to say to me. I didn’t want to push him out of his comfort zone or anything like that. I just want him to be okay.

“Um...where’d you find me?” he asked quietly, pulling the blanket over his body.

“Outside, under the porch.” I answered. “Do you really not remember anything?” I asked him.

“Well, the last thing I can think of is getting sick. I’m not sure what else happened after that.” he said. He got sick before he was kidnapped? “What about my brothers?” he asked.

“They’ve been looking for a while now. Almost everyone was.” I said. Ty looked away and I wondered what he was thinking, he looked sort of sad and pained at the same time.

He looked like he may have been sick again, too. His face was a little flushed. He looked absolutely miserable sitting in bed even with all the blankets wrapped around him. Whatever he went through, it was serious. His eyes were still so far away, even now.

“I think you have a fever.” I said as I watched him shiver. He wanted to say something but ended up keeping it to himself for a second.

“Could I get some water?” he asked.

“Sure.” I got up and walked around the bed to the stairs.

I still had Cina’s number from when we worked on a project together, which was a dark time in my life.

As I got water for Ty, I called Cina, hoping that he really doesn’t take this the wrong way.

“Oh, my, look who’s calling.” Cina was really going to play me like I was interested. I could hear him smiling, so I hope he felt me rolling my eyes.

“I found your brother.” I said to him over the phone. “He’s at my house.”

He was quiet for a moment. I don't know what happened, and I checked my phone to make sure the call didn't drop. “Where do you live?” He asked, completely serious. He’s coming to get him.

“Chandler Grove.”

“I’ll be right there.” he said and hung before I even had the chance to tell him which house. I texted my address to him anyway.

I put my phone in my pocket and sighed.

I walked down stairs to the basement to see that Ty had fallen back asleep again. He was sweating, too. The cold must have finally gotten to him. I sat next to him, wondering if I could do anything else for him, but all I could do was wait for Cina to get here.

The second I heard that door bell, I was up to go and get the door. Ty had gotten so much worse over the twenty minutes that I waited. Maybe we should take him to the hospital because it was more than just a fever now. I got the door for Cina, and he didn’t wait for me to let him in, he was already walking around me, his nose wrinkling before he turned to me.

“Where is he?” he asked.

“In the basement. I think he might be sick.” I said and closed the door so I could lead him down stairs.

When we got down there, Ty wasn’t in bed, he wasn’t even here. He was just here before I went to get the door. Now he was gone. But what was in here was a giant white wolf waiting for us, and it was not happy.

I don't know if this was a good reaction, but I hid behind Cina, not exactly touching him, but if need be, I would use him as a shield.

“H-he was just there.” I said quickly. This makes no sense to me but for some odd reason, Cina didn’t seem fazed.

“That’s him.” he said as he walked forward, not even a shred of fear in him. Meanwhile, I was absolutely terrified because I didn't know what was about to happen.

Is Cina ready to die?

Is that it?

Apparently, the fact that he said that the wolf was Ty completely went over my head because when the words finally registered, I was more than just shocked.

There was no way he said what he said. I'm imagining things.

The wolf looked as though it was ready to attack Cina? It growled louder and beared it's sharp teeth more, but it stayed in place, just ready to jump for him but not doing it yet. Cina walked right up to the wolf without a second thought, no hesitation, no fear.

It was like he’s done this before.

It seemed as the wolf’s hair began to stand up more... like it was afraid of Cina.

What the hell is going on?

Cina stared the wolf in its eyes, challenging it for a second until the wolf stopped growling and sat down on its hind legs obediently. It was a slow change in behavior but it happened. The wolf was no longer threatening Cina. It whined quietly, afraid.

"Come on, Ty." Cina rubbed his fur gently. "It's time to come home."

I've never...

He was being kind, urging Ty to come out, but I was still confused because there's no way that Ty was...I didn't believe it.

But then I saw the shift, and there was no longer a wolf sitting in the middle of the room. There was a body laying on the floor.

A human body.

That was Ty.

Ty just...he just...

I passed out.

When I woke up, I was in my own room. It was still day light outside. And it was quiet. I looked around my room. I was alone, too. I had the strangest...I had a headache. I lifted my hand to my head, feeling where I might've hurt myself because I remember that I fell.

I think.

I got out of bed as I tried to slowly remember what happened.

I don't think I dreamed what happened earlier. It was real. There was no way I dreamed that Ty was a werewolf. That's too specific and it was way too vivid. Cina didn't even deny it. He tell me otherwise that Ty was here. He confronted that wolf and it turned out to be... Ty's a werewolf? That's...not true. But I'm not crazy.

I passed out after I saw what happened.

Now I panicked. Does this happen, is that possible, should I be scared?

I stood in the middle of my room, thinking about what this meant but I was having a really hard time trying to put all this together. I wasn’t sure where this was coming from. I left my room and went down to the basement but there was nothing there.

It was like it didn’t happen.

The cup of hot chocolate was still there, untouched and cold.

But Ty wasn’t here, Cina wasn’t here, and the white wolf wasn’t here.

My mind was playing tricks on me and I hate it.

The next day was fairly abnormal, to the point I almost cracked from insanity. Ty was back in school but he looked as sick as ever; everyone was happy that he was found and back in school, but with the way he looked, there were people that wanted him to go home.

He looked like he might pass out.

I wanted things to be normal but when I tried, it just got worse. I kept picturing yesterday from when that wolf just transformed into a human body.

That doesn’t happen. That should never happen. Cina didn’t seem bothered. He knows its going on. I wanted answers because I know what I saw. If I ask Ty, he won’t say anything.

But Cina sure does have a big mouth.

During lunch, I went up to Cina since he wasn’t with anyone. He should’ve been prepared to see me because I still want answers and he has them all. The way he looked down at me said he wasn’t going to give anything away and I found that to be a challenge. He can’t keep these things from me, I was there yesterday.

I know what I saw.

“What happened yesterday?” I asked quickly.

He laughed to himself as he pulled his book out of his locker but he didn't give me an answer yet. So, I shut his locker so he could focus on me instead.b

“What do you want, princess?” he smiled down at me.

Princess?

I stared at him, about to ask another question and demand that he answer it, but I paused to correct him. “It’s Gabriel.” I said plainly.

“Need something?” He asked slyly.

He’s going to play it off like I know nothing, like I saw nothing and I was going to make something up. If I were to tell anyone what I saw, Ty and Cina would deny it.

And who would believe werewolves are real?

“I know what I saw yesterday. What’d you do to Ty?” I asked, getting straight to the point. His smile was still there, like he was being entertained. He wasn’t even trying to cover up that he was going to lie.

“Nothing.” He said easily. “You called me to come get him and I did, and you just passed out.” he said, skipping a bunch of detail.

That’s not even all of it and he knows that. Does he think I’m stupid?

“A white wolf was in my basement and you even told me it was Ty. How the hell did that happen?” I asked.

There was this weird glint in his eyes as he tried to keep his smile on his face, but it wasn't pleasant now.

He doesn't want me to talk.

“Listen, I have no clue what you’re talking about. You must’ve hit your head real hard when you fell.” he said and walked by me.

“I know what I saw.” I said as he walked away from me.

I'm not crazy.

I know what I saw.