Chap. 9

The beast growled. It wasn’t the same one Ryan had fought before. This one had dark brown hair, matted down to its body, its eyes were the color of night, and the claws were bigger.

The creature jumped, swinging its claws at Ryan’s head. He jumped back, making the animal miss, but only by inches.

“Ryan? What was that noise?” Marisa asked from the floor above.

“DON’T COME DOWN HERE!” Ryan shouted back, diving as the werewolf charged again.

“What’s all the noise about?” He heard Marisa’s dad ask groggily.

I can’t worry about them, too… Ryan thought, running to the side as the werewolf swung its paw at him. Ryan took a deep breath, and tried to think. He had beaten the last one by flying up, and dropping like a ton of bricks onto its shoulders. But the ceiling was too low for him to try that here. The werewolf charged, and as it passed Ryan kicked one of its legs out from under it, making it fall to the ground. He took the moment to look around for a weapon. All he saw was the TV, the pictures, the couch and a lamp.

Making a snap decision Ryan ran over and grabbed the quilt, throwing it over the beast, which was starting to rise. It wouldn’t give him much time, but Ryan didn’t need that long. He just needed time to figure out what he was going to do. The ceiling was too low for Ryan to use his wings, and he didn’t want to risk Marisa’s family seeing them, either. From above him he heard the family talking in quite, urgent voices.

Ryan looked around the room again, and his eyes were caught on the lamp. The monster’s eyes had been all black, which meant dilated pupils, which let in more light than regular pupils…more light…

Ryan ran over the wall, and started flicking on random switches. Lights all over the house started flickering into life. The room he was in was still dark though. He flicked more switches, until the whole first story was brimming with light.

With a savage roar the werewolf tore through the blanket, and turned into the brightness. It let out an anguished howl, but it didn’t stop coming. It moved blindly towards Ryan, slashing at anything that got in its way.

“What’s going on down here?” Marisa’s dad asked, running down the stairs, swinging a bat. The werewolf’s ears pricked up, and he turned towards the sound, rushing forward with its claws unsheathed.

“NO!” Ryan ran forward, pushing the man back up the stairs. He was just barely in time. He felt the claws dig into his left side, tearing away some flesh and part of his pants. Ryan kicked at the monster’s face, trying to find another idea.

The wolf snarled viciously, and lunged forward, its mouth opened wide, coming in for the kill. Ryan could see the black hole that was the start of the wolf’s neck. He thought he was dead, when there was a whistling noise, and something flew past his head, smacking into the wolf’s gaping jaws. Ryan looked down and saw the metal bat lying at the wolf’s feet, covered in blood. Even that didn’t stop the wolf, though.

“What the hell is that?” Marisa’s dad shouted from the steps above Ryan.

“Trans Lupin Hybrid!” Ryan shouted back, grabbing the bat. He could tell the wolf was in pain, but it didn’t stop. Ryan started swinging with as much anger as he could muster. The bat made a hollow echo as it collided with the side of the creature’s head. It growled, and lunged, its teeth grinding at the metal.

Ryan swung again, and he could hear something crack in the wolf’s head, and it started to slow. It reared up on its hind legs, ready to come swinging down and probably kill Ryan, when something unexpected happened. Marisa’s dad ran forward, brandishing a broom like it was a javelin. He ran forward, his face full of fury, and stabbed the handle at the creature’s chest. Ryan grimaced as it broke through the sternum, going all the way through, and came out the back.

The werewolf let out a gurgling noise, than fell to the ground, and it was still.

“What is a Trans Lupin Hybrid? And what are you?” Marisa’s dad asked, panting.

“That is a Trans Lupin Hybrid. It is a human infused with canine DNA. I’m just like it in a few ways.” Ryan said, his vision starting to blur, “I think it got me…” He looked down at his side. The pocket was missing, and he could see the plastic bone through the blood.

“We need to get you to a hospital!” Marisa’s mom exclaimed, coming down the stairs.

“Can’t…go…to…hospital…”Ryan muttered dizzily.

“Why not?” the woman was already pushing something against Ryan’s bloody side.

“He can’t go because…” Marisa began.

“Because I’ve…got to get out of here…” Ryan muttered, momentarily forgetting where he was, and unfolded his wings. It was an odd sight for all three people, even Marisa who had known about them. Two large shapes rising up behind Ryan, than the ripping of his shirt as powerful muscles pushed them out, and afterwards Ryan would always wonder how the three people kept themselves from running away.

“What the…?” Ryan heard someone say as he tried to flap, but all he did was fall back, onto the floor, where darkness encased him.

Ryan had a dream. It was a replay of what had happened that night, the werewolf breaking through the window, and the fight. But this time Ryan noticed something he hadn’t before. The pocket that the werewolf had torn off, and from what Ryan could tell, had eaten, was the pocket that Ryan had stored the addresses in.

A strong feeling of anger rose up in Ryan’s body. He could remember having this feeling only once before, when he had taken the cattle prod and stabbed Dr. Evans. But, in the land of dreams, Ryan could do nothing, only watch as the battle raged on in front of him. He saw Marisa’s dad standing there, on the steps, clutching the broom.

The whole dream seemed to last only a few moments in Ryan’s mind, but when he awoke, the sun was high in the sky, and he found himself in yet another room. He sat up, wincing as pain erupted from both sides of his body. Even with the pain, the only thought that came to Ryan’s head was, why is it I can’t seem to wake up in the same bed I went to sleep in?

The new room was different from the rest of the house. It wasn’t perfectly aligned. And, instead of white walls, this one had a light blue. He was on a bed that had a wooden frame, and a comforter big enough for two people. The sun was shining in through a window off to his right, and there was a closed door to his left. In front of him was a TV.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” Ryan called out. From what he could tell, the house was silent.

“Yes, I am.” Marisa’s mom came into the room, carrying a tray with a bowl and a glass on it, “Marisa is at school, and Mr. Rodriguez is at work.” She folded some legs out from under the tray and sat it down in front of Ryan, “I almost had to pry her away from this room; she was so worried about you leaving while she was gone.” Ryan looked down at the food. It was a bowl of soup and a glass of water. It smelled delicious.

“I might have to…” Ryan said, picking up the spoon. He dipped it into the soup, and cautiously put it into his mouth. It was as delicious as it smelled.

“You can’t go anywhere, at least not for awhile. Your first claw wound is healing quite nicely, but the bite is ragged, and I think it might be getting infected. I could work on you a lot better at a hospital, but I can see that it’s out of the question. You’ll need to rest for awhile, and take it easy.” Ryan was already half way through the bowl. He swallowed and looked at her.

“You’re taking everything rather calmly, for someone who has a winged freak staying at her house.” Ryan turned back to the soup.

“In the medical business, you learn to be calm and think quickly. Marisa told me your story while you were asleep, but I think it would be best if I heard it straight from you.” She smiled at Ryan. Ryan smiled back, and started telling his story, again. As he finished, Ryan started to think, and he came to a startling conclusion. So far, a lot of people hadn’t accepted him well. What if Chelle wouldn’t accept him? Ryan quickly pushed the thought out of his head. If he had remembered her, she must be important.

“Wow…” Mrs. Rodriguez said, stunned. Ryan had left out the part where he had figured out he was the same Ryan she had helped, “And the werewolf from last night?”

“I believe it was somehow connected to the scientists.”

“That would mean they know where you are. Could they be tracking you somehow?”

“I doubt it.” Ryan said, suddenly worried, “I had a chip once, but they took it out after I broke the control.” He pointed to his chest, where the scar was visible.

“I see…I wish we could help you more.”

“So do I…So, how bad is it?” Ryan asked, pushing back the empty bowl, and nodding down towards the fresh wound on his left side.

“Well, most of your flesh and muscles are gone, all the way down to the bone, so it will take awhile to heal. It doesn’t help that it might be infected.”

“And we can’t do anything about that?”

“We could cut off your leg, but I don’t think you’d want that. When I go back to work tomorrow, I’ll get some antibiotics, to counteract it, but no promises.” She stood up and stretched, “I have to run some errands, so I’ll be gone for maybe twenty minutes. Try not to get attacked by anything while I’m gone. Here’s the remote, and here’s the phone. If anyone calls, you’re our cousin Jerry. Have fun.” She walked away, closing the door behind her.

Ryan looked at the phone and the remote. The TV would keep him busy later; right then there was something else he wanted to do. Ryan closed his eyes, and went back to sleep. It was one of the most restful sleeps Ryan had had in a while. There were no dreams, or rude awakenings, except for the one time the phone had rang. Nobody could ever come close to the anger Ryan had felt when he found out the caller was a telemarketer trying to sell premier health insurance.

“Hello sir. We are calling today to offer you our premium package. It includes health insurance, life insurance and car insurance. Would you like to hear more?”

“I don’t…”

“That’s excellent sir. Now than, are you the man of the house?”

“No…”

“Even better. Are you aware that the average person has a high chance of getting hit by a car? Some insurances don’t cover that, we do. It is an added charge, though.”

“I can’t…”

“Our lowest offer is fifty five dollars a week. Does that sound okay to you, sir?”

“No!”

“Oh, you’re probably a person who knows that the best coverage is the most expensive one. We have coverage for a hundred and fifty dollars a week. How does that sound to you?”

Before the guy could go on, Ryan broke in, “Now you listen here. Somehow I don’t think that your coverage wouldn’t cover half the crap that happens to me! Does it cover getting kidnapped? How about getting experimented on, and getting wings? How about almost getting killed by a werewolf? No? I didn’t think so.” Ryan slammed down the phone.

Looking down at the phone, Ryan silently dared it to ring. After a few moments, Ryan rested his head on the pillow and tried to fall asleep. No matter how hard he tried, though, sleep wouldn’t come. It was always the same things that bothered him. The sunlight shining through the curtains was too bright, the birds and cars outside were too loud, and the bed was uncomfortable. Ryan would have tried to roll over into a more comfortable position, but he was afraid of doing something to his side.

With a loud sigh, Ryan grabbed the remote and started flipping through channels. Starting to feel extremely closed in, Ryan sat up, resting his back against the headrest. Pain flowed from his side wound, but the dressing stayed on, and the feeling only lasted a couple of seconds. Without the blanket covering him, Ryan’s bare chest started to get goose bumps, from the cold air that flew from vents.

Ryan shivered a little, but the cold didn’t faze him much. The room he was in was a little small, and the bed took up at least a third of it, but Ryan slowly unfolded his wings as much as he could. The white feathers seemed a little askew, and his shoulder blades still ached as he held them out, but Ryan couldn’t help but relishing in the feeling of freedom they reminded him of.

“Hello? Ryan, are you awake?” Someone called in through the closed door.

“I guess. Be careful when you open the door.” He called back, not hiding his wings. Marisa’s mom slowly opened the door, and gasped.

“Seeing them once doesn’t really prepare a person for seeing them again, does it?” She asked, setting something down on the floor.

“I guess not. I seem to be the only one who’s used to them. What’s in the bag?” He inquired, looking down at the bag that had a store logo on it.

“My family has adapted to a winged person, who fights werewolves. We won’t accept a winged person, who looks and smells like a hobo.” She lifted some items out of the bag, and showed Ryan a sponge, a small plastic bucket, and a razor.

Ryan smiled, imagining how he must look, “Alright. Do I get a little privacy?” He asked.

“Yes, and you get some medicine that fights infection, but I’ll let you bathe yourself before administering it. I’ll go and fill the bucket with soapy water. Be back in a bit.” She said, and walked out.

I must look worse than the werewolves… Ryan thought to himself, feeling the short hairs that had grown on his chin. His hair was shaggy, and almost fell over his eyes. Peering closely at his arm, Ryan saw that in spots it was covered in a salty layer.

Mrs. Rodriguez returned, carrying the bucket. From a sloshing sound that came from the inside, Ryan could tell that it was full, “I’m sorry, but we have to move you to somewhere else, so you don’t get the bed all wet. Now, you can stretch out your wings, let’s see if you can walk…” Mrs. Rodriguez helped Ryan slowly and shakily get to his feet. Putting weight on the left foot sent a flaring pain up his side, but he clenched his teeth, and walked down the hallway.

Mrs. Rodriguez lead him down the hallway, and along the way they passed the top of the stairs, which gave Ryan some information on where he was in the house. A few feet passed the stairs; Mrs. Rodriguez led Ryan to a door. He opened it, and peered into a bathroom, that seemed wider than it needed to be. It had green and white tiles set up in a checkerboard pattern. A thin, white line that was a brighter color than the white tiles separated the tiles. The tub was large and porcelain, with steps leading up the outside wall, and descending on the inside wall. The tub even had ledges for the soap, and a small seat under the shower where a person could sit. Right beside the tub was a rack to hang towels on. The wall opposite the tub held a porcelain sink, topped with a mirror. Close to the sink was a toilet.

“I’m guessing you like the vastness of it.” Ryan muttered, leaning against the wall.

“No. This house used to belong to my great uncle. He needed the extra room. During his time in the service he received a leg wound that bound him to a wheel chair for the rest of his life…” Mrs. Rodriguez paused, “He left us this house in his will.” She paused again while Ryan shakily climbed into the tub. She lifted the bucket up and set it down next to him, “I wish you could use the shower, but it might damage your injury. Now, when you’re done, the towel will be here, and here are some clothes for you. I guessed at your sizes, but they should be pretty comfortable.” She set down a pile of cloth, “Just call if you need any help.” She smiled warmly, than went out the door.

Ryan waited until he heard Mrs. Rodriguez’s footsteps going down the hallway before gingerly taking off the pants he still wore from his experiences with Ragnarök. He looked around for a place to lay them, before deciding on the perfect place; the trash can beside the sink. With a form and follow through that would impress any coach, he swished it perfectly.

Turning back to the job at hand, Ryan sat with his wings spread as wide as he could manage in the room. He cautiously bent down and picked up the sponge, which was full of lukewarm water. Ryan grinned inwardly. A sponge bath was easy enough; it was washing his wings that had him worried.

Later, when Ryan was finished, he carefully put on the clothes Mrs. Rodriguez had left for him. The shirt was a dull green. The body was a little baggy, but the arms fell a little short of his elbows. It bothered him a little that he couldn’t stretch his wings easily with the shirt on. The pants fit perfectly, and the waist was loose enough that it didn’t hurt the injury on his side.

Shaving was a new experience for Ryan; at least he thought it was. The thin handle of the razor felt strong, and the blades looked dangerously sharp. Ryan took a deep breath to calm the anxious feeling that the blades had roused in him. He sprayed the shaving cream onto his hand, and smeared it as evenly as he could across his chin. Ryan slowly brought the razor up to his chin, took one last deep breath, and began, with nothing but the mirror to guide him. The first stroke went well, only taking away shaving cream and hair. The second and third were the same, though they seemed to get closer to his neck. It was on the fourth slice that things turned toward the worst. Instead of cutting through the cream and hair, Ryan pressed down a little hard, causing the blades to cut a shallow gash in the skin under his chin. Though it wasn’t strong, the sudden pain made Ryan jump, jarring the injury, making him gasp, trying to hold in a scream that quelled in his throat. Instead, he let out an inaudible string of curses.

“Is everything all right in there?” Mrs. Rodriguez called from the other side of the door.

“Yeah, just fine.” Ryan muttered in return, watching the red blood smear with the white cream.

“Good, I don’t want to rush you, but I have to go pick up Marisa from school soon, and I want you to come with me. I found an experimental steroid that should speed up your recovery, but you need to distract a doctor or two.” Ryan’s hand immediately slowed its ascent toward his chin. His mind flew back to when he was escaping the facility, when Bob had stood unmoving at the door that Ryan had fled through. Ryan heard the myriad of dull thuds as the bullets slammed into Bob’s body.

Ryan shook his head, sending shaving cream onto the mirror and walls.

“O-okay. I’ll be done in a second…” Ryan answered. He heard his voice shake as he said it.

“Are you sure that everything is all right in there?” Mrs. Rodriguez asked again. Ryan couldn’t help but notice the worry in her tone.

“Yeah, just give me a moment.” Ryan said, swallowing the feeling that the memory of Bob had brought.

There will be time to mourn for him…right now I need to focus on finding Chelle…

Next Chapter: Chapter 10