The Disciple and Other Stories of the Paranormal (2 page)

She managed to clean the cut on her foot
somewhat. Putting her shoes on hurt, but she had nowhere left to
run now, and trying to get onto the train barefoot might cause too
many questions. Questions meant delays, and she had no time for
delays.

She washed her face and made sure that the
proof was safe in her backpack. She brushed her hair quickly and
took the time to tie it back with a scrunchie. She started to sling
her pack back on, then reconsidered.

She opened it up again and took out one of
the pictures and a pen. She wrote her name, the date, and what was
truly in the picture on the back. She gave the address of the
house, and instructions to enter armed with silver bullets. Then
she slid the picture up into the paper towel dispenser, far enough
that it wouldn’t come out right away. It was the best she could do,
and while she figured it wasn’t going to be enough, at least she’d
done something more than give up.

She took a deep breath and decided she was
as ready as she was going to be.

She listened carefully at the door before
she left the restroom. She heard neither baying, footsteps, nor
noise to indicate that anyone else might be outside. Still, she
opened the door cautiously, working to keep herself calm.

But there was no one outside, other than the
man. She took another deep breath and stepped out.

He could hear her pursuers. They were
getting closer. He knew the train wouldn’t get to the station in
time for her.

The young woman walked out of the restroom.
He could tell she was trying to appear casual and relaxed, but he
could smell her exhaustion and fear.

She walked over and gave him another quick
smile. “You know, this is a really deserted station. Do you use it
a lot?”

He shrugged. “Somewhat.”

“
Are you heading
home?”

“
Going to work, actually.
I’m a night person.”

She seemed to be mulling something over.
“This might not be a good place for you to be,” she said
finally.

“
Oh? Why not?”

She grimaced. “You won’t believe me if I
tell you. But…you look like a nice man, and you’ve probably got a
family you’d like to see again. I don’t know how to suggest this
without sounding crazy, but you should probably lock yourself in
the bathroom until the train gets here.”

He gave her a small smile. “That does sound
crazy. Why should I do that?”

She swallowed hard. “Because there are
some…people…coming to, well, kill me. They’ll probably be here very
soon. It’s not…it’s not fair for them to hurt you, when they want
me, but I think they’re the kind who will hurt you just because
you’re here.”

“
Why do they want to hurt
you?”

“
Because I know what they
are.”

“
And,” he asked, keeping
his expression and tone calm, “just what is that?”

She sighed. “Okay, I know you won’t believe
this, but…”

Her voice trailed off and he could see her
listening intently. He’d already heard what her ears were just now
picking up — the faraway sound of an animal’s howl.

“
I might believe you,” he
said encouragingly.

She took a deep breath. “They’re werewolves.
And they’re really close. A lot closer than the train. Look, you
need to get to some kind of safety.”

“
Why don’t you do the
same?”

She shook her head. “They’ll claw down the
place for me. But, if they don’t realize you’re here, or don’t
think that I’ve spoken to you, you might have a chance.”

“
Why are you trying to
protect me?” He was rather touched, in an amused sort of
way.

She shrugged again. “Because I don’t want
them to win, and I don’t want them to get anyone else trapped in
their stupid little game.”

“
Game?”

She sighed, and spoke quickly. He could tell
she was poised between fight and flight. “They lure you out to
their country house, on whatever pretext works, and then they give
you a choice.”

“
What choice?”

“
Join them or become
dinner. If you choose the dinner option, you get two hour’s head
start. If you choose to join them you get an hour’s head start.
They get to hunt you down, either way. Unless they’re feeling kind
or particularly hungry, and then they just eat you right
away.”

He was quite interested in this. “Which did
you choose?”

She gave him a mirthless smile. “I chose to
take pictures and videotape of them offering this to someone who
chose dinner and was put right up on the menu, and then I chose to
run like hell.”

“
You’re a reporter?” He
felt vaguely disappointed.

“
No. I’m a bereaved family
member. They took my little brother last month. He called me on his
cell phone while he was on the run to tell me what they’d offered.
He chose to join them and asked me not to look for him. But I
didn’t see him with the pack.”

“
But he could be. He could
be hunting you right now.”

“
Yes.” She cocked her head
at him. “You’re taking this rather well.” She was starting to look
and sound worried.

He gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ve heard
it before.”

She looked frightened now. “How so?”

“
The mental asylum’s close
by. Patients do escape.”

“
I’m not a mental
patient,” she hissed as she began to back away from him.

He reached out and took her arm gently.
“Perhaps not. But no one else is likely to believe you. After all,
they’re based out of that asylum.”

“
You know about them?”
Horror and curiosity warred on her face.

“
They’re my neighbors, so
to speak.”

“
Why haven’t you stopped
them? Told someone? Anything?” She sounded close to tears, but he
could tell she was actually going to try to run off again. He
thought she was rather pretty, and knew she’d look even better once
she’d had a chance to bathe and relax.

He made up his mind. “Well, you know how it
is. Better the neighbors you know, annoying habits notwithstanding,
as opposed to someone new moving in. I don’t want prying eyes any
more than the werewolves do.”

The baying was much closer and quite clear.
He could tell she heard it. “What are you going to do to me?” she
whispered.

He gave her a friendly smile as he drew her
closer. “Offer you a…different choice. After all, if you’re going
to die one way or another…”

She waited, feeling far better than she had
just a few minutes ago. He was watching nearby but where they
wouldn’t spot him easily. She knew he’d help her — if she needed
it.

But she knew she wouldn’t. New senses told
her that her brother wasn’t among the pack, and that meant they’d
eaten him. So, killing a couple of them would be only fair. She’d
promised to only kill one or two, because, as he’d mentioned, if
they ate all of them, what would they do when they needed food and
no one else was available?

She felt stronger, and safer, than she had,
not only tonight but in a very long time. Her new protector was
also rather handsome, and she found the prospect of living with him
quite acceptable, especially since her only other alternative had
been a messy and unpleasant death. Not like what he’d offered.

She considered getting the picture she’d
stashed, but chose to focus right now on the pack. She could always
get it later. Or not. After all, someone going to check out her
lead would likely end up like her brother or her — dead or
undead.

But, the werewolves had arrived, and she
turned her attention to them. She found she was quite looking
forward to showing them that, when it came to hunger and hunting,
nothing had an appetite comparable to a newly made vampire’s.