A Misfit

Chance Encounters

Point of View:

Tyler Baile

“Hey you okay,” A voice from behind asked. I jumped and wiped my eyes before turning around. 

“Jesus Anastasia you scared the hell out of me,” I chided her.  

“Sorry your emotions kind of hit me up.” 

“It’s just the painful memories. I am fine, really I am.” 

“Okay I’m heading out. I’ll meet up with you when we get back alright?” I nodded. “You really should get rid of those clothes you wore the day I found you,” Anastasia said before leaving and soon I was left alone in the room, then the house. I shivered and walked back to my bag of clothes. I opened the wardrobe and started putting my other pair of shoes, my t-shirts, sweaters, and jeans in it. I guess it was lunch when I finished because I heard a faint bell ringing off in the distance.  

I decided to change out of my t-shirt and jeans and into a tank top and shorts; after all I am going to be exploring I thought to myself. I pulled out the IPhone 5 Ian had given to me and plugged in my ear buds and walked out of the house. I took a moment to change stations on my Pandora and bask in the sun before taking a scenic jog through the campus. I turned on my favorite station and started to jog down the sidewalk. I made a mental map as I made my way down the sidewalks. Laney Hall and Chesapeake Manor were on the southern part of campus and are the closest buildings to the front gates. Odell Suites and the gym are on the Westside of the campus and the northern part of campus is forest. The east was the school and Pinole Homes apartments where the youngest of the all student are.  

When I finished checking out all of the campus buildings I decided to check the walls if there was any escape possible should Anastasia and I ever get in trouble. I jogged around the wall until I was stopped by thick forest. I took out my head phones and leaned against the wall and sighed heavily as I basked some more in the sun after all I do love having a tan. In my moments of silence my mind thought back to the first night I could remember clearly.  

It was minutes after I lost my memory and was in the hotel once again with Anastasia at my side. I remembered the fear that encased my every being as we entered the hotel room. I’ll never forget the look on Anastasia’s face as the scents of the room assaulted us. Blood and smoke mixed in with wood and sweet grass. Anastasia and I walked into the room but she stopped me and told me to close my eyes. I still to this day don’t know why but I did as told. Something tells me it was because of something terribly bad. I remembered how I jumped when she pulled me back out into the hall. She held two suitcases which held the clothing I now have in my room. I screamed as my phone vibrated, shaking me from the memory. Anastasia sent me a text. 

Hey where are you? Dinner is going to be ready in an hour and a half.  

Oh maybe I was wrong when I heard the bell earlier. I smiled and texted back. 

I’m still jogging. I’ll meet up with you at dinner okay?  

I put the phone back in my pocket. I shook my head with a smile as I started to put my ear buds back in. Then the cry of the dog or wolf stopped me. “Do we have wildlife here?” I asked myself. Filled with curiosity, I put my ear buds into my pocket and walked into the woods. I was glad to be in the instant shade of the pines and oak trees of the forest. I looked up and smiled at the simplistic beauty of the sunlight poking through the heavy cover of leaves and branches. I pulled out my phone and unplugged the ear buds and played soft piano music off my Philip Wesley radio as I continued to explore the parts of the forest. After a couple of minutes of not finding any wildlife I decided to head back but then the cry called out again but it sounded closer.  

I followed the howl as it came again. The animal sounded alone and wounded so it only encouraged me to hurry. I stumbled into a clearing of tall knee high sweet grass; I chuckled to myself at my own expense as I stood up and brushed off the dirt on my pants and shirt. Snap! “Hello?” I asked as I walked further into the grass. I stopped at the edge of clear pond and bent down and to get a drink. I filled my cupped hands with water and lifted my hands up to drink the fresh water. I closed my eyes as it went down my throat and when I opened my eyes I shrieked as large black wolf lapped water from the other end. The wolf lifted it large head and stared at me and I stared back.  

I stood up sharply and it growled menacingly at me. I stood very still as the wolf continued to stare and growl. Then it hit me, “Oh, you’re a werewolf aren’t you?” The wolf’s ears perked up and the growling stopped. “Are you alright? I heard a howl was that you? Are you ok” I asked gingerly walking around the pond. The wolf whimpered but it stayed and lowered into a crouching position. “I’m not going to hurt you alright? I’m just going to see how bad your injury is.” The wolf growled as I kneeled next to it. I gingerly stroked the head of the wolf and it relaxed and laid down. “There isn’t that better?” I asked with a smile. “So are you a guy or a girl?” I asked jokingly. The wolf looked to me and lifted his hind leg. “Yup you are a guy,” I said blushing, “where does it hurt the most?” The wolf just looked at me. “That’s right you can’t talk in wolf form. Okay, so if I touch where you’re hurt please don’t bite me.” He nodded and I smiled before lightly tapping his front legs. “Those are fine not let’s check the spine,” I said as I felt along the spine. “Good, very good,” I said my hands rubbed the soft lengthy fur; “you need a haircut.” I joked with him. My fingers poked and prodded on both hind legs. “They seemed to be a little tender, let’s check your stomach,” I said as I looked him in the eyes, “and I will not check out your package.” I joked with him. He barked and my smile faded as I soon felt blood seeping from just below the rib cage.  

“Oh oh, this isn’t good. Thank god you stayed in wolf form otherwise this could be very deadly.” I watched him roll his eyes at me. “Hey, I am just saying good choice. This is going to sting a bit and I am sorry okay?” I told him. He nodded and panted as I laid my hands directly on the wound. “Wie moontrah but cralla vu hodra,” I chanted over and over again. The wolf whimpered and shook gently as I chanted the spell. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as my hands warmed subtly. “That should do it, but it is going to be tender when you change over. Try walking around a bit,” I coaxed.  

He stood up slowly and pranced around me and stared at me as he did. “You need me to grab you some clothes for you when change?” I asked him. He shook his head no and pointed to a boulder just to the right of us. I got up and found jeans and an olive green button up shirt folded neatly. As I bent down to grab them I heard another howl of pain, I spun around ready to heal him again but bushed a bright red.  

“Thank you, May I have my clothes?” the man that was wolf asked. 

“What?” I asked stunned and dazed. Then he nodded to my hands that clutched the clothes. “Oh yeah,” I said as I finally took my eyes off the man. I slowly walked to him with my hands outstretched holding his clothes. He gently took the clothes from and I slowly backed away still not looking at him.  

“You can look now,” The man said from behind me. My skin crawled and shivered as his gruff voice caressed my eardrums.  

“No I can’t,” I said breathlessly.  

“What do you mean? Are you blind?” He asked. 

“No, believe me I’m not. I just can’t look because I just saw you naked. I’ve never been this close to a werewolf without it attacking me and vice versa.” I said quietly.  

“Oh well it’s okay, us werewolves are used to nudity from the time we change,” He said walking around into my line of sight, “may I ask you something?”  

“Sure,” I said still not looking at his face, so I looked at his feet instead. Damn even those were cute…wait how can feet be cute?  

“Why is a new witch hanging out in the woods and what did you mean ‘without it attacking me’?” 

“I was jogging around campus and then I followed the wall and heard you cry out, long story and a boring one,” I stopped and looked at him, “how is your stomach Mr...”  

“No Mr. just Justin,” He said.  

“Oh, well I really should be going,” I said walking back toward school. 

“Wait can I get your name?”  

“Why, not like you are going to see me again,” I called out over my shoulder. He was probably visiting a relative or some junk. There was no way I was going to look back, risking my sanity. I jogged casually back down the path I came and soon I was at the back of Laney Hall. I leaned on the side of the building gasping for air. “Jesus Tyler, you really need to get a hold of yourself,” I told myself as my hands shook, “why do hot men affect me like that, thanks stupid sexuality.” I took a deep breath and pushed of the wall and hurried to the dining area. I trudged through campus straight to the food. I came to the metal doors and I prayed that the dining hall would be empty. I pushed back the metal doors and looked at the vast sea of teenagers and tables that laid there before me. 

 I stood there for a moment before making my way through crowd and to the buffet table. I grabbed my tray and walked down it throwing anything on it really. I was too distracted about how to get the heck out of this place. When I reached the end of the table I was faced with the table challenge. “Screw it, Ian Bellatoria never said I had to make friends,” I muttered as I walked to only open table in the back of the hall. I set my tray down and allowed myself to be lost in my thoughts. How are Anastasia and I ever going to get out of here? Maybe we could scale the eastern wall and make a run for the road. There is some coverage but the southern tower could easily spot us. Going through the front gate is out of the question. Possibly the western wall; no likely the ground under it seemed loose, like it would give way soon. On the other side of the wall it is probably an eighty foot drop. The wall will come down in the next decade or so. That leaves the north wall as the only reasonable option. I sighed and looked down at the food I picked.  

The mash potatoes looked like they were bathed in butter and the breaded chicken breast looked moist but my stomach lurched at the sight of food. I put my spoon in the potatoes and pushed them around on my plate as I looked up bored. I can’t stay here until I am 18 I thought lifting the spoon up to my lips… Oh my god. My spoon fell out of my hand and clattered on the plate. My eyes had found Justin in the crowd of students and teachers and oh how gorgeous he looked. He changed out of his button shirt into a nice faded red deep V t-shirt. He looked just so gorgeous. The shirt did wonders for his biceps and his pectorals as they proudly stretched that shirt to its max. His short soft brunette hair glowed in the light as he walked through the buffet. I smiled slowly as he scratched at his five o’clock shadow as he decided what he wanted. He glanced up as if he sensed someone was watching and I caught a glimpse of his honey brown eyes. I quickly looked down hoping he didn’t notice me noticing him.  

“Hey Tyler,” Anastasia said as she sat down next to me causing me to jump. “Jesus Ty, are you too deep in thought?” I smiled and gave a halfhearted laugh as I looked back to the buffet table. Justin was gone and now walking toward Miss Cast.  

“So how goes it?” I asked Anastasia as I returned to my food.  

“Pretty good, hey I have files on all of the staff and students if you want to go over them with me tonight when you finished dinner.” Anastasia said as she stood up.  

“Great, I am not even really hungry. What about you did you get a fix?” I asked her worried they haven’t allowed her a feeding.  

“Yeah apparently all the guards are vampires, and some teachers are as well so they have a room within the hospital for the teachers and guards, it is by the staff and elementary housing district.” Anastasia said as I went to dump my tray.  

“Wait there are more housing districts?” I asked confused that my mental map was wrong.  

“Yeah, on the northern wall there is a stone door that leads to the elementary, it is really hard to depict it from the wall it is only there for emergencies. Anyway come on,” She said as she started to rush off. I kept up with her and followed her to her room. She pulled out her key and opened the door. I stepped in and realized that her room was slightly smaller than mine but had way more furniture. I sat on a cushion chair on Anastasia’s side of the room. “So let’s start with the teacher’s files okay?” 

“Actually I’m only concerned about two files,” I honestly.  

“Okay, whose?”  

“My roommate’s and someone named Justin, I only got his first name,” I said sheepishly.  

“Well going through the records there are only three Justin’s in the school manifest. But I think you mean this on because the other two are in the elementary.” 

“Thanks,” I said as I took the files to my little chair. I opened the first file and the name on the sheet read Clayton Summers. “So my roommate’s name is Clayton, he is seventeen and has been going here for almost six months. He is a witch and…” I couldn’t read the rest because the tears started to roll.  

“Ty, what else,” Anastasia asked calmly. 

“His mother died in child birth, his father remarried and a few months before entering the school he witnessed the death of his father, stepmother and little brother. He was sent to his mother’s family where he was trained before entered here, voluntary. Thank goodness he isn’t a gangster,” I said as I felt sorry for Clayton. 

“Yeah well at least your roommate isn’t charged with manslaughter,” Anastasia muttered as she looked at the file in front of her.  

“What?” I asked standing up and walking up over to see her file. 

“Yeah Evelyn Clearwater is charged with the murder of Liam Cypress. He was 18 at the time of his death in 2010 and he was a fairy. And a wealthy one too,” Anastasia said as she read more.  

“Fairy you mean like tinker bell?” I asked because I’ve never had to fight or kill one. 

“Yes but they are larger and look way different.” 

“What do they look like?” I asked just before the door opened and a small girl walked in carrying books. 

“Like that,” Anastasia said.  

“What are you two doing in my room?” She asked.  

“Ah you must be Evelyn Clearwater, I am Anastasia Chevoff your new roommate this is my friend Tyler Baile.” Anastasia said as she hid the file underneath the rest.