Forums → Art, Music, and Writing → The Beginning- What A Furry Business

Well, old Fabian was on hiatus, but he didn't stop writing. Just, he didn't post them. I/we wanted to keep it prvate >.< But oh well, here goes.

Grrr....I just realised that most old/regular users would know all the underlying meanings and inspirations.

~~~~~~~


The steel walls pounded and shook as he ran amok, slamming at the toughened material, snarling at the single table in the dingy room. With an almighty blow, he shattered the sturdy oak furniture, his hot saliva dribbling at his feet. Pupils dilating, his claws raked the pitiful wooden legs of his victim, howling woefully at the ceiling...

The twelve hours passed fast, the final note by the grandfather clock released the room's unwilling prisoner, in a state of delirium, his clothes in rags, skin bruised and bleeding. A heavy-set man entered, eyes grey and unfeeling, and threw a bundle of clothes at him. As he left the room, those cold soulless holes gazed at the broken table; two equally large and endless nostrils flared up and snorted.

Every month, he would be forcibly confined into the dreaded room, spending a dozen tortuous hours in the hell-hole, in a chaotic blur of flailing limbs and claustrophobia. Every month the same sickening ritual. For the world cannot be tainted by such a despicable creature.

Ten years ago, he was bitten. They were in their hotel room; his parents stepped out for a while to check on the bookings. When they came back, the door was hanging by its hinges, he was huddled under the table, gibbering. Puncture wounds on his arms, the blood seeping through his white clothes. Of course they rushed him to the ER, delirious and incoherently muttering about a dark figure.

Nothing was wrong. Just a few stitches to clear up the wounds, with a swab of iodine. At least nothing was wrong at the moment...

It came like a sudden epileptic fit. They were watching the full moon, strolling home from their dinner when it happened. He froze on the spot, his skin soaking up the Moon's pale glow. The hair sprouted, his hind limbs contorted, they lengthened, the bone crunched as his pupils dilated. And the burning pain, the pain of the transformation, it shocked him, it taunted him, it grew.....darkness into his mind rushed as the new body seized up, the large form suddenly a void his inner consciousness unable to fill....

They sent him back, hushed up everything. Locked him up whenever the moon shone in her full glory. A shameful secret in the otherwise peaceful home. They looked at him now with contempt, as though he brought with him shame, disgrace, to the home, an unclean presence. They kept their distance, he kept his. He didn't mind, he didn't want anything to do with them. Especially when they locked him up. No one else knew, no one heard anything. And so it passed for ten years...

It was an otherwise normal existence. He did well in class, got into the school team, made few friends. Nothing unusual, nothing abnormal. But of course, they started wondering about him, when he vanished inexplicably once a month. Always excuses, sickness, a visit from a distant uncle, revision; he used it all. And they did believe him for a time. Till they finally grew suspicious, the pack of rats, always weeding, always worming their way through his feeble excuses, trying to pry at whatever secrets lay behind the thin veil. The disbelief grew, not since he kept quiet, ever evading their incessant questions. No one believed him, except his best and now only friend.

But otherwise, all was fine, as fine as he wanted to. It suited him. She didn't question him, despite the ever flowing rumors, the claims of his lunacy just mere noise in her noise. The one person he could trust fully. Whenever he could, he retreated back to her house, rather than face the cold frosty looks of his family, the strange piercing glances of his teachers, or the mocking faces of his peers. Whenever his nightly monthly disappearances happened, sometimes, he swore he could hear her knocking on the front door...But he didn't tell her what happened, nothing would be good of it. He would just smile, laugh and hug her whenever she shrieked at his state after his temporary incarcerations.

'I swear its okay...nothing happened. Just a slight fall.'

'Tell me! You can't have hurt yourself that much if you fell!'

'It's nothing. Just a graze or two.' he shrugged it off. , pulling her into a hug. 'It's nothing.' Of course she worried, but no he couldn't tell...who would believe him? And he didn't want to scare her away. But the questions of concern still carried on. Someday he must tell. But not now...not now...

There were a few dead giveaway signs. A constant craving of meat, red meat, a tendency to always play with any stray canine on the street. What's more, they came to him, even the most maddened rabid dog. He was always playing with her dog, the young canine always bounding to him whenever he came by. Docile and tame as anything when he was near her. And of course, he's unexplainable disappearances during the full moon.

Then there was the matter of his wounds. They seemed to appear only on the full moon, yet disappeared after a week, without a trace or stain. Nor were there many scars, the various cuts, bruises, gashes vanished, as though they simply did not exist, leaving just faint red marks. That was something he could not hide, he always faltered and stuttered whenever she questioned him. 'It's just in my genes perhaps.' was the only plausible response, yet that fell flat miserably. They both knew it was untrue.

His parents didn't approve whenever he crept to her house, they wanted to keep him in, as though only they could control him, and watch over him, afraid that he let out the secret, afraid that he grew bolder in spirit, afraid that he would break away. They tried every means possible to force him to stay at home, threatened him, coaxed him, and bluffed him, all to no avail.

He found her crying one day, after he got back from a training session. She looked a mess; her brown hair flopped over her face, covering her features...The blue gems that were her eyes sparkling amidst the tears. No one else was at home, with a sigh he sat down on the couch. He pulled her closer, into a hug. Her silky hair flopped to the side, his eyes widened. Oh no....

'Did the b******* hit you? Where is he now?' he examined the large angry purplish bruise on her otherwise porcelain white face, as he gave her an overall scan. Nothing more. Thank God.

'Yes...but, he went out with Mum. They won't be back till next week.' Her voice faltered, growing softer and softer as she seemed to melt away.

As the human rationale stripped away from him, he almost strode into the world of bloodlust, the spirit of the hunter imbued. The strange animal like savagery struck him to the core; he sniffed the air warily, the blood boiling madly. All he could see in his sudden state were the pitch black roads, as he hunted from corner to corner for the b******. He wanted to frighten him, to teach him a lesson, to knock a sense of morality into the thick hardened skull of the man with the moral values that would have galled even the lowest rogue.

And then he rushed back to his senses. No, that wouldn't do...it wouldn't pay for them to know the truth, no it wouldn't. Would it? He shook his head, in a familiar canine like manner. No perhaps, there might be another way of dealing with the wretch. But he would deal with it another time. More important matters now...helping his friend for example. He hugged her tighter, and tried to reassure her.

His shirt got slightly wet and warm as the muffled sobs continued, rising and falling like the tide of dusk. The long brown hair tickled his nose, quite pleasantly, softer than the fur of the pedigree dogs his aunt so loved. He hugged her all the tighter. Gradually the sobbing stopped, fading away into the silence of the room. He looked around, the curtains fluttering gently under the cooling wind of air con, the sunlight outside giving way to the inky darkness and brilliant purple shades.

The soft music floated from his pocket; it instantly reminded him of snowy peaks, white snowflakes, coniferous forests...they lulled him, stirring his blood a little. He pulled out the black candy bar liked phone with one hand, the other still draped over her frame, checking the flashing screen. Mum. Without a word, he switched it off, cutting the music abruptly, before slipping it back into his pocket. With any luck, she won't know he was here. The minutes ticked by, as the silence continued to fill the room.

He finally broke off, looking at the pitiful slumped figure next to him. There was a single clear tear drop hanging by her lashes, it sparkled under the dim light. He wiped it off lightly with a tissue. She sat there, quite still, before suddenly collapsing into another bout of tears. He quickly caught her, and hugged her again. 'What happened?'

He peered at the cloudless sky, the first few stars twinkling brightly in the night sky. Three hours later, they still sat there, the crying had stopped. She continued to sniffle; her eyes were red and puffy, though they still coruscated brightly like a pair of sapphires. 'Are you feeling better now?' he murmured, with a heavy heart of lead, still holding her loosely. It saddened, what she told him. Family problems, quarrels with her sisters, illnesses, it worried him a lot.

Sure, they did happen time to time, but not in one barrage. God does work in mysterious ways. He tossed the incredulous ideas popping into his mind, banishing each plan, each more foolish than the previous. He sighed.

'Promise me you won't think so much about this. Just get some rest.'

'Alright.' Came the soft reply.

He turned around, and faced her, her silhouette stretching along the wall, illuminated by the soft glow of overhead lights. She reached out and hugged him tight, his mind growing blank as the ideas seemed to ricochet in his mind, a swarming horde of bees. The stars cast their mysterious light despondently in the night sky...oh God no... She collapsed into a fresh state of tears, as he watched on with dismay. It quite tore him apart from the inside, watching on. 'Is there something else?' he questioned, his voice now tinged with barely concealed anxiety. She fought to keep the tears down, but it didn't work. It took longer for her to calm down, but she did in the end, her voice growing hoarse, as the crying steadily shook her. She coughed out a single syllable. 'Yes.'

He bent closer, hugging her tighter. 'Tell me?' His eyes were downcast, they inexplicably flickered momentarily to the innocent night sky.

'Okay.'She whispered..her voice growing softer and softer...She leaned across and dried her tears.

Hid eyes stared affixed at the clouds, as the wind steadily blew them across the sky. Oh...S***. No, how could he forget....

She tried whispering into his ear, but nothing came out.

His eyes widened, as the white pale glow of the moon shone in the sky. The blood throbbed, as he felt the familiar draining in him. A sea of hazy red clouded his vision, as the dark hair started piercing through his skin.

He clenched his hands, and struggled to control himself. She finally whispered into his ears...'I've-'

He broke off the hug abruptly, and thrashed around, standing up. He couldn't keep check of his other half anymore, as he flailed madly, like a crazed drunk.

'What? Are you okay?' She was startled, caught in mid sob. She tried to stand up to get hold of him.

The world was split into two, as a blinding flash contorted his mind, squashing all the humanity. He spat out the white foam, and tried to get out of the house before the full transformation happened, all the while trying to get out of her way, before he succumbed to the wolf. As she grabbed hold of his hand, she gasped at the dark coarse fur. He tugged it away, his convulsing arms accidentally pushing her to the side, knocking her heavily to the ground. S***.

'What the?' she squeaked, astounded by the changed person in front of her. 'Get out! Go away!' He roared in a guttural voice, growling threateningly, as he scrambled to the door, his body morphing and cracking as the bones grew.

She just sat there, stunned, as he ran out into the night, still swaying and rocking violently. He loped over the fields, now on all fours, trying desperately to get as far as possible. But as he vanished into the darkness, he could distinctly hear one quiet saddened sob, that strangled painfully whatever that remained of him, before he vanished into a world ruled by savagery...

He crept into the corner of his little cell, wiping the blood stains on his ragged clothing, examining the fresh cuts and wounds. Superficial, they'll be gone in a few days, never mind the pain. He stared balefully at the door, at the little window covered with metal grills. They had deliberately put him in for a few more days, to let him remember, to punish this almost unforgivable sin of almost letting the secret out. And the beatings, he would never forget. Of course, they only did it after the moon crept away into the clouds, whilst he was sleeping. Heck, they even used the riding crop. He felt the large angry raised strip of skin on his shoulder, swollen and burning.

He signed, chewing on the stale piece of bread in his hand. It tasted almost sweet, compared to the bitter feeling in his heart. Missed school for a few days, which probably was a blessing. He snorted in disgust, recalling the excuse his parents gave to the teacher, as he heard faintly through the keyhole of the door. Epilepsy! What nonsense...but it would have to do. In fact, he couldn't care less to tell the truth. He was more uneasy of the fact that she had almost seen what had happened. Did she know it? Did he manage to escape on time? He brooded in silence...he needed to talk to her.

The doorbell rang shrilly throughout the house, as he fidgeted on the porch, pacing to and fro, and thinking of all the vague excuses. The door open suddenly, and he looked up. Uh-oh. He stared into a face of marble, the mouth slightly twitching at the sides. 'What do you want?' she said, her voice toneless, though it sounded slightly nasal, as though she had been crying.

'Erm....I'll just like to say sorry I ran out that night...I'm sorry I hit you...it was an epileptic fit....I didn't tell you before. Sorry. It's an inconvenience. That's why I disappear sometimes too, it's the fits.' He gulped, unable to look her in the eyes, heart sinking. What else should he say? That the hair was just of her imagination? He stood up, and tried to hug her, but she brushed him off, like an irritated person swatting a fly. 'I'm sorry...' He said, licking his lips. 'These fits, they come and go, I can't contr-'

The unexpected slap hit him right across his most recent facial scar, tearing the delicate skin apart. What the...he stood there quite shocked, the blood dripping down his chin.

'I'm sorry, it was epilepsy! I swear! It's a common problem!'

Then can you explain that...that...fur? That looks of a killer in your eyes when they turned red? That voice? No, it wasn't epilepsy. Tell me, what is it! Now!'

He fidgeted on the spot, the palms sweating profusely. 'It's just epilepsy...perhaps some complications...I'm no doctor.'

'Liar! That's all you can ever say! Lies! Get out! I don't want to see your face!' the door slammed in his face, leaving him stuttering, trying to salvage the wreck that was already at the bottom of the ocean.

He stood there for a long time, his mind in turmoil, his cheek still stinging slightly, the blood drying fast in the chilly wind. Then he turned around, and walked off ever so slowly down towards the gate, hands in his pocket, biting his lip deeply.... The wind blew across his feet, scattering leaves as he walked without turning his head back once.

He typed furiously at the computer, searching up every article he could find, without hitting on a single solution, feeling more and more hopeless as he swept past the seemingly endless pages of words, wearing his eyes reading the miniscule text. The slash on his cheek prevented him from opening his eyes properly, yet he read on in the fading light. Finally, in exasperation, he threw the keyboard down, and slammed the table, already scarred during his 'fits'. There was no end to it....nothing could work now. He sat on his bed forlornly, racking his over tired brains, all the while furiously but mindlessly completing the homework stretched in front of him. The words kept repeating themselves in his mind, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't banish them, they haunted his every living and sleeping moment.

Cancer.

Epilepsy.

Cancer. Epilepsy. Cancer. Epilepsy. Cancer. Epilepsy.

They drove him mad, repeating over and over like a broken recorder. He shook his head again, thinking, before lying back on the bed, like a mangled marionette, tearing. So this was how it would turn out to be. Death, misery, mistrust, hate, was that all it was to be?

How long did she say she had left? Six months? He wanted to wrangle every single damn scientist, doctors' neck for them to provide a cure. He kicked listlessly at the football he was holding, pumping the loud distorted music from his phone.

It was no use. The cat was surely out of the bag, or at the very least, clawing its way out. All his desperate emails, calls, texts had been left unanswered. No one answered the door when he rang the doorbell; her room's curtains were always drawn these days. He still didn't go to school, the teachers ordering him to stay home till his 'epilepsy' had blown over. Kicking the ball viciously, it flew in a perfect arc, and smashed the flower pots lining his backyard's wall, sending the shards flying all over the place. He gazed nonchalantly at yet another fresh cut, this time from the broken pot on his hand, his gaze shifting along the skin, scanning the countless faint scars and healing wounds. As he looked on, his eyes widened, a brainwave finally struck him there and then. That's it....the solution.

He rang the doorbell incessantly, willing the stubborn door to open. No answer. He pressed the taunting red button again, and again. Nothing moved in the house. He grinded his teeth, the cold stinging him. It was no use. One month, and still no answer. Should he give up hope now? No....he couldn't...he exhaled deeply, troubled. He turned around, but as he did, he swore he saw the curtains shift a little, the light from the inside spilling onto the porch. He angled his head a little, he swore he could see that familiar brown hair. He shook his head again, perhaps it was his own imagination. The house remained dark, seemingly devoid of life. Perhaps he should try the next day.....His heart sank, full of regret and self-pity.

The holidays came, and so did the emptiness of being alone. Mooched around the place, thumbing through his battered volumes on history and politics, contemplating his plan, toying with the idea. It was daring, audacious, surely almost foolish? What if it went wrong? It would be irreversible...he had only one shot. Pass the pivotal moment, and all was finished. Did he dare to take the risk? That crucial decision? It still hung in the balance, he didn't know how to proceed. For her sake? He still did not know, as he sunk back into the familiar depths of his beloved books.

He heard his parents gleefully whispering to each other, catching snatches of their conversation as he crept into the kitchen for a bite. Their uncanny toothy grins glinted brightly in the dark, as they gestured animatedly. He almost dropped the bread he was holding onto the floor, choking on the dry crumbs. What???!!! D***, she was in the hospital???

He knew he needed to act fast if he wanted to stop it all, time was ticking away fast. He checked his watch, then the calendar. Not tonight, not tonight...He made up his mind. He would put the plan into action, his mind in a frantic whirl now. Softly, he turned right at the end of the corridor, and exited into the garden, looking furtively at the talking and whispering duo in the living room. The cold night wind rippled his face, as he stepped into the darkness, closing the door behind him. Soon...

The bag bulged as he sat it down on the bed next to him, searching through and checking its contents. Finishing, he hid it under his bed, taking care not to cause any noise, for his room was above the sofa that his parents were sitting on two floors downâ¦.He looked out the window, the moon was almost full....

He woke up that morning, squinting in the faint darkness, his heart thumping hard with the thoughts of the plan. Would he dare to execute it? He got up, his hands shaking, as he looked at the faint outline of the moon being chased by the sun. A perfect circle.

The hand of the clock ticked by slowly, agonizing, as he waited it out, stretched lifelessly on the couch, looking only at the clock. As the hands moved finally into a single horizontal line, he got up. Six O'clock.

The stairs creaked, as he moved up to the bedroom, stealthily retrieving the bag from under the bed, grunting as he strained under the weight. A hint of metal shone from the top, as he zipped it shut, running down. S***

His father sat in the armchair near the stairs of the second floor, reading a newspaper, belt in hand. Dang...how could he forget? Of course they knew every single date where the full moon appearedâ¦as they had for the past ten years. And of course there was always some form of weapon on hand in case he got out of hand. His teeth gritted menacingly, he was not to be foiled now! He froze on the spot, afraid his father saw him. He inched towards his left, not daring to breathe, afraid that his soon to be captor would catch him sooner than later. Minute by minute, inch by inch, he slid back the corner, into the corridor.

Without another thought, he quietly lifted the window next to him, dropping his bag down onto the overgrown grass below. The next moment, he felt a burning sensation in his ankles, as he crashed down six meters, the shock of the landing jolting his frame. He didn't care, as he slung the heavy bag onto his shoulders, and bolted out into the dimming evening sky, as the crows above spied his every move, heads following his every movement, his shadow lengthening in the horizon....

His shoes pounded on the tarmac as he ran away from his house, getting further and further away from his torment, from the captivity, from his prison. His phone rang non-stop, as he grabbed it, he didn't bother to look at the number. Who else could it be? Again, the little black bar was unceremoniously shut off, its blue lights blinking no more in the gloom.

The large forbidding building came into view, right in the middle of the small town. The memories flashed back, of the years of isolation and experiments the scientists performed. He shook his head, momentarily stunned of coming back to the place. He gulped, he was a toddler again, being anesthetized by the doctors, he was older, being injected with drugs, he was almost a teenager, being examined for his wounds. Then he was back, the horrible recollections fading back to the murky depths of his mind. In a second, he was running past the receptionist into the lift lobby. The sickly clean smell of surgical rooms and disinfection greeted him at every whitewashed corner. The nurses and patients gave irritated looks, this rushing youth creating such a din.

He slowed down as he neared the end of the fifth floor corridor, catching his shallow breath. He swallowed hard, at the eleventh hour; he was contemplating a pull out. But no, no the plan was already in motion.

His sweaty palms rested on the cool metal knob, as he twisted it and entered the quiet ward. The last rays of sunlight shone through the blinds on the window, casting an ambivalent orange glow across the room. Without a sound, he placed the bag on the floor, undid the zip and sat on the chair next to the bed. The whir of various machines sounded across the room as he stole a glance at the sleeping figure on the bed. He dropped the metallic object he was holding as the shock hit him. He immediately turned back, trying to banish the image of the various tubes, the pain on her face even in her sleep, and the drip. Concentrate, or you'll mess it up. A famiiar lump started to grow in his throat.

He waited, looking only at his illuminated watch, at the wall, his gaze piercing a hole there, as though he had a grudge against it. All so as to not look at her. He couldn't bear it, he prayed feverishly that his absurd and dam fool plan would work. It was the best he could do.

He feared that the numerous doctors outside might have recognized him, and called his parents. The soft ever-increasing footstep sounds outside scared him, his breath coming out in short bursts now, pure adrenaline and paranoia coursing through his veins. He hoped she didn't wake up now, no not now....

The chains clinked as he hefted them from his bag, and cuffed himself, attaching the other end to the bed's frame. One of the various sets his parents had procured to keep him securely in the basement cell. They were still shiny, not dented evidently his unnatural strength could not break even these. One for each limb. To be sure, he was still within range of her.

She mumbled in her sleep, and he started from the chair, afraid that she was waking up. He scanned the weather outside, it was getting dark. The first few evening stars appeared in their glittery regal attire, he could spot Venus in the horizon. He relaxed a little; soon the final phase would come into play.

He twisted around, adjusting the chains again, securing them firmly before finally turning around to face her. He still couldn't quite come to terms with the state she was in now; he felt a dark despair eating away at his soul. He wished ever so badly to help her. Would it work? The plan? Was it the solution? Again, he chided himself, it was too late.

His muscles tingled as the star of the night, the moon finally showed up, full and bright in its glow. He growled softly, the moon calling out to his every particle, sending him into a lunar trance. He bathed in the pale glow, licking his lips slightly, as he lost focus.

Something slapped him on his face as he stood up to walk to the window. He shot back to reality, as one of her hands hit him on his cheek, as she lay talking softly in his sleep. He paled, he almost drifted away there. He knew he had not much time left, he could feel a faint fuzz growing on his hands already. He closed his eyes tight, muttered a short 'sorry' and bent over, straining the chains, suppressing the transformation as long as he could.

He kissed her on her pale sweet lips, keeping his eyes shut, and praying she forgave him. She stirred a bit, but she didn't move. The moon's light sent tingles down his spine, as he felt his bones crunch. He broke away, his hot saliva dripping down his shirt. The saliva that carried the curse. The curse his parents had strived hard to ever prevent from spreading. And now he had done it in spite of all their precautions. With all his effort, he slid the other chains in his bag onto her hands and legs, to the bed, as he retreated as far as he could go. He gripped hold of the chair, struggling to remain standing. As the moon hung tantalizingly in the night sky, he doubled forward, the fur growing at an alarming rate, his teeth lengthening into sabers.

He looked over to the bed, as she woke up abruptly, staring at the growing figure. As she screamed, the high pitched shrill slowly changed pitch, it turned into a hoarse growl. She looked at the growing brown fur on her skin, before realizing what had happened. She scrambled to get out of the bed, but before she succeeded, the transformation had complete. She trembled slightly, but somehow, she looked...better, as though a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. His plan had worked.

He convulsed vigorously, he stared at the wolf in front of him. That was the price, the price one had to pay for such a healing. Perhaps it was a blessing after all, this whole wolf business. To be sure, the transformations werenât pleasant, but, but that was a price he was willing to pay if she could get her life back, snatching her back from death.

Strangely, he didn't feel a single maddening thought of killing, not a single spark of the hunt, as though he had been tamed, the wolf finally under his control. Extraordinary, he heaved, examining his entire body, as though it was the first time he had transformed. A sane human werewolf? He almost laughed, what an oxymoron. He felt a sudden unexplainable wave of exhaustion, as he tried to accustom himself to his new..body. Whimpering slightly, he sank to the ground falling into a deep sleep, curling up, the chains metal surface cooling him.

He heard the pitter patter of light feet, as he felt something warm rest on his body. She laid next to him, putting her warm furry head on his body. There was a mellifluous whine as she fell asleep. He felt comfortable, the first in such a long time, just as he descended into darkness yet again, yet this time he welcomed it. Mhmm...it was warm and toasty as he slept....Pity being four legged prevented hugs.

He squinted in the bright light as the morning sun's rays shone straight through the window, into his now furless face. The chains clinked as he undid them, heaving as he lifted them into the bag. He unlocked her chains, causing a little too much noise, as she murmured and got up as well. This time apart from the red swollen marks where the chains had been, there were no more wounds.

He exhaled deeply. 'Okay, okay calm down, look I can explain everything.'

'That's what you always say.' She grinned in spite of herself. Funny...where was that snappy attitude? He hesitated, then pulled her into a hug. Quite surprisingly, she did not resist. 'Er....well you see, a long time ago I got bitten....by God knows what...and well....werewolf? Absurd as it may seem.'

'I've been suspecting that for a long time. The signs weren't hard to decipher. I could tell you know.' She rolled her eyes. 'Then of course that night. Don't think I can't tell a wolf from a human.' He blanched, he shouldn't have underestimated her. 'Aren't you shocked?' 'Not really....So am I brand new now?' She said looking at herself 'No more cancer? That was utterly horrible, the cancer. And not talking to you for a month.'

'I guess so....there was always a back-up plan. I could just do myself in and join you in heaven. Uncanny healing powers at the expense of humanity. What a deal.' he joked pathetically, as he hugged her again. 'Sorry for all the shifty lying and hiding and trouble....Am I forgiven?'

'Of course. But next time tell me everything.' She exclaimed. He breathed a rush of relief, feeling the boulder that for the past month had been lying on his heart vanish. He hugged her again, tighter, almost squishing her.

A long time later, he broke off. Unexpectedly, a light slap hit him for the third time across his face. 'Oww...what was that for? That cut will never heal at this rate.'

'Next time, ask before kissing cheeky.'

He half winced, half grimaced, half smiled and half laughed, before walking towards the door. 'Oh one last thing....the moon's up in another twenty eight days. And I believe itâs high time you check out.' The door closed silently behind him. All was well.