Hair in All The Wrong Places (8 page)

I'm on fire!

“You should see her without the wig. Her head looks like a rotting avocado,” Colin laughed.

“Ugh, Colin, that's just gross. How on earth did it look like a— Never mind, I don't want to know.”

Colin shoved his hands in his pocket and decided to change the direction of conversation. “Why are we going to Merton Forest anyway? Any why did you wake me up? And how many times have you broken into people's houses?”

Becca counted her answers off on her fingers.

“To see the crime scene. Because I don't want to go by myself. And including tonight, five times.”

“That was very … truthful.”

“I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't exactly have many good friends.”

“I'm a good friend?” said Colin, immediately wishing he hadn't.

“If you have to ask, I guess not.”

“Can I change my question?” he said quickly.

Becca glanced at Colin. “You're pretty sharp for someone who just woke up.”

I am pretty sharp? I'm never sharp.

And he wasn't lying to himself either. Colin maintained average grades and didn't really excel at anything.
Sharp
was not a common word people used to describe him.

They reached the southern edge of town and hopped a wooden fence into a field.

“If we cut across the Merton Farm fields, it'll be quicker than taking the road around,” said Becca, pulling a flashlight out of her pocket and switching it on. “What were you dreaming about?”

Colin was beginning to notice that Becca had a very disconcerting way of speaking. She had a habit of cutting to the chase. It freaked Colin out.

“What do you mean?”

“When I woke you up, you were covered in sweat and moaning.”

“I was moaning?”

“Yeah, I was worried you were in pain.”

Colin flushed and felt thankful that it was dark. “I've had some bad dreams lately. Along with some weird hunger cravings. And mild hallucinations. Oh, and headaches. It's all really strange.”

“Well, you're in the right place. Elkwood is the place for strange.”

“Does your dad know you're out tonight?”

“What do you think?”

“So no one knows we're out here?”

Becca stopped and gave Colin a coy smile. “What's
the matter, Colin? Afraid?”

“No, I'm not scared,” countered Colin. “But there is supposed to be some sort of wild animal wandering around out here, you know.”

Becca turned away from Colin and then without warning threw herself back at him. If this had happened yesterday, Colin would have dropped her but he easily caught her around the waist in his current state. Becca laid her head on his shoulder and peered up at him.

“That's why I brought you, my brave warrior,” sighed Becca dramatically. “To protect me against the evil beasty.” Smiling, she stood up and laughed.

“Don't mock me!” said Colin. “I mean, it's funny, but still.”

Becca carried on walking with Colin dutifully following. “I like that you can take a joke, Colin.”

“You won't find it so funny when you're being torn to shreds by some creature and I'm already halfway back to town.”

“You wouldn't do that.”

“You're right. I'd be too scared to move.”

They both laughed. Colin felt happier than he had in a long time. And that worried him. He'd always been under the impression that he wasn't allowed to be happy.

“So what are you hoping to find at the crime scene?” said Colin.

“I don't know. I figured you'd be more curious than me.”

“Why?”

“One of our classmates gets attacked by a wild animal the same night that you're out driving around town in
what I can only assume was a stolen vehicle.”

There it was. Did Becca think Colin had killed Sam Bale?

“You were out too,” said Colin, probably a little too defensively.

“Then this is a good way to clear both our names. Why were you out last night anyway?”

“Why were you out?” he countered.

“Touché, Mr. Strauss,” said Becca. “Don't worry, Colin. I don't think you're a wild animal nor do I believe that any fiber of your being has the ability to attack anyone, let alone kill them.”

“I guess that makes you the prime suspect then,” said Colin jokingly. Becca punched him in the shoulder playfully. “See! Violent offender right here!” shouted Colin.

“Shush.”

They had crossed several fields and hopped a number of fences, catching glimpses of the flickering light from the Merton farmhouse in the distance. The moon should have been full tonight but the overcast sky hid any evidence of it. As they walked downhill toward the forest, the open fields weren't as well tended the farther away from the farmhouse they went, making walking a bit of a hazard.

As they walked, Colin tried to keep from dwelling on the flashes from his disturbing dream, but they refused to stay down in the dark corners of his mind. This was his first happy moment in a long time, and he didn't want to ruin it by contemplating whatever was going on with his mind and body.

“Colin, how can you possibly see where you're going?”

Lost in thought, Colin hadn't realized that he'd started drifting from Becca who was following the light from her flashlight. The grass was long and spotted with spiny shrubs, but Colin could make everything out just fine.

“I have good night vision?”

“You have amazing night vision. Can you see the forest?”

To Colin's surprise, he could. The far edge of the field they had entered ended in a bank of trees that stretched off in either direction. “Yes, it's at the end of this field.”

“That's amazing. Have you always been able to do that?”

“Uh, no … well, yeah.”

“I love a straight answer, Colin.”

As they made their way across the field, Colin weaved easily to avoid shrubs, and Becca carefully picked her way through and still occasionally got tangled. Colin could make something out toward the west. He could just see an open area at the edge of the forest, surrounded by four large yet dark floodlights.

“Look over there.”

“Colin, I can barely see my hand in front of my face.”

“It's the crime scene. Come on.”

Colin grabbed Becca's hand and led her through the field in the right direction. Reaching the caution tape, Colin hesitated. He'd seen cop shows; you weren't supposed to do this. It was wrong. It was illegal. The tape was bright yellow with big words that read
caution
for a good reason.

Becca ducked under the tape and began scanning the area with her flashlight.

Maybe she doesn't watch TV?

Colin threw caution to the wind and entered the crime scene. It was weird to think he was standing close to where someone he knew, or at least someone who had beaten him up, had died.

The fog was very light in the clearing, almost nonexistent. The clouds began to break, and Colin could see the moon. The same uncomfortable sensation that had preceded his earlier migraines began to creep up his spine.
Oh no. Not now!

His body no longer fit easily inside his skin, and his muscles began to tense. Until … it stopped.

The crime scene exploded in a wave of clarity as Colin breathed deeply through his nose. He could pinpoint the location of the attack, easily picking out where all the blood spatters converged in one place. There was a trail of blood where Sam must have been dragged into the trees. Colin could literally see the blood … or smell it? He couldn't decide. All he knew was that he could perceive everything in bright vibrant washes of color, in the dark without a flashlight.

The world wasn't dark to him. He could see Becca examining the area with a flashlight. She looked beautiful. Colin could hear her heart beating like a drum. And he could smell her, her happiness at being out at night and doing something she probably shouldn't be.

Faintly, Colin caught a whiff of something else. Another smell. Familiar, but … not good. Something dangerous.

“It looks like they cleaned everything up. I don't see anything,” said Becca. “How about you? Picking anything up with your super night vision?” She smiled and shone the flashlight directly into his face. She looked surprised. “Colin, what's wrong with your eyes? They're—”

“Becca Emerson and Colin Strauss. What are you two doing here?” Colin and Becca jumped as Gareth Dugan marched out of the forest carrying a flashlight. Colin could smell waves of anger coming from him.

“Gareth, what are you doing here?” said Becca.

“Interesting pairing. Would never have guessed you were into the dark and brooding type, Colin. But then I wouldn't have though that you'd be into the weak loser type either, Becca.”

“Gareth, you're an idiot,” said Becca.

“That's your opinion. And it's wrong.”

Something about Gareth was off. Way off. He didn't smell completely human, although Colin couldn't necessarily tell what human smelled like. He just knew there was something unnatural about Gareth. As if there was something lurking under the surface.

What if he's the killer? What if he's the animal that killed Sam Bale?

“Did you kill Sam, Gareth?” blurted Colin.

“Colin!” said Becca.

“It's not completely outside the realm of possibility, Becca.”

Gareth looked sad. “Don't be an idiot, Colin. Sam was my friend.”

“Then what are you doing out here?”

Gareth bristled at Colin's question. “What am I
doing out here? What are you two doing out here?”

“Becca wanted to look around.”

“So you just followed her like a lovesick puppy. Ha!”

“Well, it wasn't exactly like that.”

“It was kind of like that.” Becca shrugged.

“Oh, this is great. Becca and Colin. I'm going to throw up.”

Something about the crime scene continued to nag at Colin.

Why floodlights?

Sam's body had been discovered during the day. What are the lights for? Suddenly, he caught it, just the lightest whiff on the breeze, the smell of other people. Several other people. The distant sound of a helicopter.

Colin heard the whir of a generator as it powered up. The floodlights burst to life illuminating the crime scene and three startled teenagers.

“Run!” yelled Becca.

Colin didn't know what to do. He froze as his migraine came back full force. The smells, the sounds, the light, and then the helicopter coming closer all blinded his senses. He tried to stagger in the general direction Becca was running.

“Come on, Colin!” she shouted.

He mind recalled the explosion, a helicopter, and running through the forest, but most of all, he remembered the wolf creature. He heard it growl inside his head.

In an eerie human voice, it said, “I'll take it from here.”

Colin blacked out.

As his vision returned, Colin realized he was standing next to the wooden fence at the southern edge of town where he and Becca had first crossed into the field. There was a commotion far behind him somewhere.

“Colin, put me down!” said Becca

Colin realized he had Becca slung over his shoulder. He put her down. “What? How …?” said Colin.

“That's what I'd like to know,” demanded Becca. “Come on. We need to hide for a while.”

“My grandfather's garage is only a couple of blocks away.”

“Let's go. Then you can explain to me exactly what just happened.”

What did just happen?

C
olin found it unusual that he was in the same back alley, breaking into his grandfather's garage again, two nights in a row. He didn't have the key for the back door this time, but Becca found a window that was unlocked. Colin helped her through the window, and she unlocked the door from the inside.

The garage was exactly as it had been the night before, minus one car. That must mean he definitely did steal it last night. He just wished he could fully remember what had happened.

Colin's grandfather had kept an old oil-stained couch in the back of the shop. Becca flopped down and patted the couch playfully. “Here, boy!” she said.

Colin hesitated.

“I don't bite, Colin. And you can't tell me that you're not tired after what just happened.”

Colin sat down carefully beside her. “Yeah, about that. I can't really remember—”

“Oh, come on, Colin! It just happened! How can you not remember?”

“Well, my memory … it's been a little, well, off lately.”

“You're telling me that you can't remember what just happened out in the field?”

“Nope.”

“You're full of crap.”

“Do you interrogate often? Isn't there supposed to be a
good
cop to balance out your surly no-nonsense attitude?”