The Hidden

I Will Not Go

Dyann returned home with a sense of dread but for the first time, also determination. She is a grown ass adult, no longer a child to be dragged from place to place at the whim of her “family”.  She went Straight to the kitchen with a plan for dinner. A meal she enjoyed. She got started on her prep work when the four older family members marched into the kitchen. Her grandmother started, “Dyann, I understand you need another dose of your medication.”

“Yes. Please lay it on the counter and I’ll take it with my dinner.”

She turned to see everyone staring at her with mouths open. Her grandfather stepped in as he recovered more quickly than the others, “You will take it now and no dinner for you.”

The hand that held her chefs knife began to shake. She slammed it on the counter, “I will not take it now and if I don’t eat, I don’t cook.”  She raised her voice more than planned. In fact her voice sounded more like the voice in her head from earlier. Everyone took a step back. 

Meagans mother began to speak and the same loud voice boomed at her to shut her mouth. Dyann was stunned when she did in fact shut her mouth. The family all exchanged glances. Her grandfather came at her with a raised hand which to his surprise she caught in mid air. The new voice took over again, “We will no longer be abused by any of you. You will not touch us again or you will deal with me Elder. We will not take those pills. We will not go to bed hungry. We will not pack and move.  No more.”

Again everyone just stood and stared. Dyann knew that physically she was no match for the four of them but they did not seem so sure. Her grandmother and aunt slipped backwards out of the kitchen. Her grandfather began to advance again but a deep low growl stopped him in his tracks. Her uncle seemed frozen and shocked. 

Her grandfather tried another tactic, he spoke in a calm gentle voice he had never used when speaking to her, “Dyann I know your life has not been the easiest but you have to trust me when I tell you those pills and leaving this place is for your own good. We must leave Dear. It is no longer safe for us.”

Dyann laughed out loud, “trust you?  Have you convinced yourself I’m stupid?  You’ve all spent my life abusing me, treating me like a servant, poisoning me with these god damn pills, starving me, lying to me and now you say ‘trust me’ I don’t even know who you people really  are. What I know is that our visitors were searching for a 26 year old woman who disappeared, whose real family is still alive, who you admitting to rescuing and it wasn’t Meagan.”  She picked up the knife and took a few steps towards the older man. “I want the truth. Maybe then I’ll trust you.”

An uncomfortable silence stretched out across the room and across the minutes as the two men glanced back and forth. It seemed they were having a conversation she could not hear. Finally the older of the two men left the room. Daniel spoke, “We are about to reveal a shocking truth to you Dyann. Hopefully you will keep your composure and listen to reason.”

As he spoke a movement at the door caught her attention. A large black dog walked into the kitchen and sat next to Daniel. Dyann looked closer and realized this was not a dog. It was a wolf. An old wolf judging by the gray fur around the mouth, eyes, and ears. She looked questioningly at Daniel. 

“This is my father. Actually this is his wolf. Samuel is the man, Drake is the wolf. They réside in the same body and can shift from one form to another. All of us are werewolves as were our visitors and you.  The voice you heard earlier that felt as if it did not belong to you, it belongs to your wolf.  Has she told you her name?”

Dyann stared. What was he saying?  This is absurd. She certainly was not a werewolf. Yet her dna did have canine markers. No. Ridiculous. She was about to tell him what she thought when the wolf standing calmly in the kitchen nudged Daniels hand. Daniel locked eyes with the animal and nodded, then left the room. He returned with a throw from the sofa and held it at waist height. Then, to Dyann’s shock and awe, the animal shifted into the man she called grandfather. She realized he was without clothing and that explained Daniel grabbing something to wrap around the older mans waist. Dyann could not speak. She could not think straight. As she stood with her mouth hanging open Samuel spoke, “It is all true child. We are werewolves. We are not condemned creatures, we are not demons or witches. We are a species of man/animal hybrids. At one time we lived with a pack of others like us. Until a vicious attack left many dead and injured. We fled for our safety and took a baby from a neighboring pack to protect her.”

It was clear that he had realized she heard the dining room conversation but not the conversation in the office between the three strangers. They said this man was responsible for the attack and deaths of many. She remembered the rattling of ice in glasses caused by shaky, nervous hands. He was still lying. She would play along. 

“I have many questions but I need to gather myself. Tomorrow I need to go to work  they have my last check and I need to return some clothing items to a co worker.  Maybe I can work a half day, but these are the kinds of people who will call the police if I just disappear.”

The two man looked at each other and had another silent chat. Her grandfather agreed it would be better for her to go to work, resign, and not raise suspicion. Dyann finished dinner and suggested everyone serve themselves. She took a plate to her room, bolted her door, and ate dinner. She had a lot to figure out in the next few hours.