Blood and Silver: First Bite

Russian intelligence

Abigail spent the rest of the weekend poring over Mrs Smirnova’s books and journals. It seemed like the old woman saw herself as some kind of witch.

It was easy enough to just dismiss it as the ramblings of an old woman, but something told her to keep investing her time in the books and take things seriously. Remembering the big pots that Mrs Smirnova used to stir over the gas stove made her think of a witch’s cauldron, a thought which entered her head and was quickly pushed away as pure absurdity.

There was no scientific explanation for her quick healing wound and ankle or her colour changing necklace. Maybe they were small things, but she kept on reading more and more about werewolves, and saw her name multiple times mentioned as a half blood, and it seemed to reference pages in a different book.

She searched for the book in the pile, and was disappointed to see that it was all in Russian.

‘Ugh that will take me forever to translate, looking at her laptop that had been left open on a Russian to English translation page for the past day and a half while she translated bits and pieces of Mrs Smirnova’s journal where she’d switched from English to Russian.

There was a knock on the bedroom door. ‘Come in’ she called out, her automatic response, while she continued poring through notes.

Laura walked in holding a tray with a bowl of spaghetti bolognese.

‘This school project is keeping you so busy, I feel like I haven’t seen you in days! I’ve brought you some food, but I really think you need to take a break and get to bed soon. I’m sure I heard you awake at 3am. You won’t be wake up for school tomorrow.’ She said.

Abigail had told her mother that she was working on a school project, to avoid having the conversation about weird goings on and werewolves. She smiled and took the tray from her mother and set it on the table next to her laptop.

‘Yeah mom, you’re right. Thank you for bringing my food in for me! I think I’ll have a bath after dinner and go to bed, I can barely keep my eyes open.’ She replied.

‘I want to see all of that eaten, it took me years to get you to a pin t where your ribs weren’t showing!’ Laura said sternly. Abigail shovelled a forkful of food into her mouth to appease her, and it seemed to have the desired effect.

Laura gave her a kiss on the forehead and left the room.

Abigail ate and bathed and settled into bed for the night. Her dreams were full of images of wolves and beasts, and Jack in the middle of them all.

In the morning she awoke and got ready for school. After a moment’s hesitation, she put the Russian book into her school bag and headed to school. She reasoned that she might be able to walk around the town later and miraculously find someone who spoke Russian who could do a better job of translating than the internet.

At school, she sat down in her first class and Hannah took her seat next to her.

‘Where have you been?’ Hannah whispered. ‘You didn’t respond to any of my messages.’

Abigail looked at her, with telling dark circles around her eyes

‘I’m sorry Han, I was researching and I got sucked in, my mom had to remind me to eat.’

‘Researching what?’ Hannah said, forgetting to whisper and attracting a glare from their teacher.

Abigail tried to answer, but the glare met her too and she wasn’t able to reply.

Eventually the bell rang. Hannah seemed upset and was giving Abigail the cold shoulder.

‘What’s wrong Han, I said I’m sorry I was literally just reading and I lost track of time all weekend.’ She said as they walked to their next class.

‘Abbie, you’ve been distant with me all week. I’ve let it go because you had a traumatic experience, but I can’t help but feel that you are hiding something from me. I thought we were best friends. I’ve never hidden anything from you and it hurts!’ She said, tears welling up in her eyes.

‘Ah Han it’s not like that, I just haven’t been feeling myself. It’s nothing.’

‘You are lying again! It’s not nothing! You’re avoiding my questions and you’re just not you!’ Hannah cried out. By now they were attracting some attention, and of course the two hottest girls in school having an argument was going to be a big source for rubbernecking.

‘Okay Han, you’re right. I have been keeping something from you. But not because I don’t want to tell you, but because I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t even know what’s going on myself!’ Abigail started to cry. She hadn’t let herself feel anything up until this point, but all these weird things that Mrs Smirnova had written about were upsetting and confusing and overwhelming.

‘Let me help you then.’ Said Hannah.

‘Alright, but I need someone who speaks Russian.’ Abigail smiled.

‘Is that all?’ Asked Hannah. ‘Have you never noticed that my science tutor’s name is Boris?’ She laughed.

Abigail immediately put her palm to her face and laughed.

‘I’ll explain everything over a milkshake after school, as long as you drive me.’ She winked. ‘Then if Boris can help with translating a couple of things it might make more sense. But you need to promise you won’t think I’m crazy and will take me seriously, okay?’

Hannah wanted to make a joke, but the seriousness on Abigail’s face made her think against it. She stuck out her little finger. ‘Pinky swear.’ She said solemnly. Abigail wrapped her little finger around Hannah’s and smiled, feeling like a weight was starting to be lifted from her shoulders.

The two girls hugs, immediately putting Hannah’s mind at ease that their friendship was not in danger of dissolving, and left for their classes with a plan to meet after school.