5. Chapter 5
Bungalow on the Beach
All the nurses wave and say goodbye as we walk through the halls.
Dr. James and Dr. Lycan both come around the counter and give me a hug before patting my head and saying they’d see me soon and reminding me to call if I need anything.
I may have held the hugs a bit longer than socially acceptable, but both men have such comforting auras about them, and I needed that to help strengthen my resolve.
Once we make it out the doors, I pause to take in a deep breath of the warm summer air.
It feels like forever since I’ve been able to breathe in the scents of nature and now it's like there is more to smell. The trees planted around the hospital almost smell sweet. I swear I can even smell the feathers of the birds twittering in the branches, a soft musky smell that makes me want to hum in pleasure. Of course there are some smells I don’t like.
The exhaust of the cars in the parking lot and the hot smell of metal heating under the sun’s rays.
Even my hearing seems to be better than it was before.
I can hear little forest creatures rustling in the underbrush of the sparse woods, the beeps and honks from cars on the road, and even distant voices from somewhere I can’t pinpoint.
Looking around, the colors seem brighter and details I would have never noticed before seem to stand out like beacons now.
The bright red bird I used to see in the backyard now has tiny black specks and the brown swallows I used to chase through the forest have more white and black down their back then I’ve ever noticed before.
Seeing all the new details around me has me itching to get my hands on a sketch pad and charcoal, I want to record it all.
Abby leads me to a tiny, bright pink Mini Cooper as I take in the world around me. When we get to the car she drops my hand, but I don’t immediately get in. I can’t drag my eyes off the sky or the trees or the buzzing bees floating around. Abby chuckles as she opens her door.
“I know, it can be a lot at first, but soon enough, this will all be normal like it was before. Hop in, I’ll take the long way home and show you around the town a bit.”
Getting in, I smile at my new friend. She is so bubbly and happy. I used to spend hours watching girls like her and wondering how to be like them. Then I realized that a lot of it is put on, faked for the people around them.
Abby doesn’t seem like those girls. She seems genuinely happy to be alive.
I can imagine that she is one of those people that are always offering a helping hand and encouraging words to people around them.
I make a mental note to keep an eye out for her.
People like her get taken advantage of way too easily, they get manipulated and tricked by sorry souls that can’t accept that others may be kind.
If I can, I’ll make sure that she never has to feel the hurt of someone taking her kindness for granted.
Leaving the hospital parking lot, Abby takes me all around the tiny town. She points out the movie theater, a coffee shop that she swears has the best danishes, and a Super Center that has a dozen shops connected by side walks.
“Once you go through the stuff your … I mean the things George and Kathy sent over. Once we go through your things, I’ll bring you to the Super Center to get anything else you may want.”
I try to think about what I have in my bank account.
Admittedly, it isn’t much. I babysat while I was in school, but I also had to buy my own art supplies, so I don’t have a lot left.
Abby must see the worry on my face because she grabs my hand again.
When I glance over at her, she is smiling softly, understanding eyes flickering across my face.
“Don’t worry about the money, Rebacca. The Lupine Council gives every wolf a stipend and since you were forcefully changed, you also get that wolf’s stipends.
His family agreed to it, they said they were appalled by what their son did and hopes the money will help you settle into the life you never asked for.
They wanted to see you, if you’re willing of course.
They feel terrible about how everything went down.
Of course, no one will force you to see them, but that is an option if you’d like it. ”
Her words leave my head spinning. I do think I want to meet his family at some point.
Maybe not right now, I need to figure out this new life before I face them, but I’m curious about the wolf that changed me.
Was he always crazy, or was this a one off situation?
What was he like before that night? Was he kind like Abby or grumpy and hard to be around?
All these questions are spinning around and around in my thoughts and I have to force them away or I’ll get overwhelmed again.
I have to think about this as a positive thing or I’ll be miserable for the rest of my life.
Smiling back at Abby and gently squeezing her hand, I answer the best I can.
“I’d like that some day. I don’t think I can do it right now, but eventually, I’d like to give them my condolences for the son they lost. I feel terrible that he died. Also, I don’t really know how to feel about the stipend, but I’ll accept it until I get my bearings around here.”
“Oh Becca, you are so fucking sweet. You let me know when you’re ready and I’ll set up that meeting.
And, you have no choice but to accept the money.
We all get it, even if we have a job. Us wolves have had centuries to amass a fortune under the humans’ noses.
So now, the Alphas in charge are giving back to us. Just roll with it!”
Laughing, I nod and watch the picturesque town roll by.
We leave the main part of town and head down a two lane road.
I can see the waves crashing in the ocean in the distance and my heart leaps with joy as we drive closer to the coast. The ocean is my home, and apparently, Abby’s home rests on the shores.
We pull into a little bungalow style house.
The whole backyard is a sandy beach and before I even open my door I can hear the cry of seagulls and the lulling crash of waves.
My cheeks burn from smiling so wide and as the car comes to a stop, I throw my door open and rush around the house to take in the beautiful sight of the beach. The water is so blue and even from a hundred feet away, I see the little bright fish playing in the shallows.
As I watch, a pod of dolphins jump the waves in the distance, their clicks are music to my ears.
Abby lays her arm across my shoulder and watches the water with me.
I feel rude for not addressing her and ditching her in the car, but the call of the ocean has never been one I could ignore.
Just seeing the water makes me want to draw.
“I love the ocean. I used to walk from my house through the woods at night to draw the ocean in the moonlight. Thank you for giving me my home back, Abby.”
“I’m glad you like it here. I’m heading inside to start lunch, but feel free to spend as much time out here as you’d like. If you don’t come in before lunch is ready, I’ll bring it to you.” She kisses my head and leaves me to my peace.
I spend hours sitting on the sand and watching the water.
Abby brings lunch out and sits in silence with me as we eat.
For a while, we sit together, watching nature at its finest. When the sun starts to set, we go inside.
Abby promises I can come out as much as I’d like.
As I glance back at the water once more from the back glass sliding door, I can’t help but feel like I’m finally home.
Abby’s house is cute. It's cozy and perfect.
The kitchen is dine-in, with a little window booth that has a window that faces the water.
All of her appliances are stainless steel and the wooden cabinets and countertops blend in perfectly with the light pink walls.
She has fresh flowers sitting in the middle of the table and as she leads me into the living room, I gush at the soft fluffy white carpet she has throughout the rest of the house.
Her couches are white with pink seashell throw pillows on each corner.
She doesn’t have a TV. Instead, there is a massive bookshelf covering the wall from the front door to the other wall.
The fireplace in the center of the bookshelf is probably the biggest I’ve ever seen.
I ask her how she keeps the books safe and she laughs as she points to a metal tube inside the brick fireplace.
“There’s a fan that pulls the smoke up and out and the air flow keeps the flames safely inside.”
“Genius!”
From there, she takes me down the hall. There are only three doors down the hall.
“That,” she points to the door on the right, facing the front of the house, “is my room and the other is yours. We each have a bathroom and the door at the end of the hall is the laundry room. Feel free to make the place yours. I already have a family that applied to be your caretakers once you’re ready to leave here.
Of course you can also stay until I get another assignment or you find your own place. ”
Nodding, I make my way to the room she pointed out as mine. I do love it here, but I don’t want to burden my new friend. Dr. Lycan said that all new wolves stay with an established family for a while, I just hope I have a chance to meet the family before I go stay with them.
“I’m going to make dinner while you go through the boxes. Make a list of the things you need and we’ll go shopping tomorrow. I put your new Lupine card in your wallet already and over dinner, I’ll start explaining more about the way we work as wolves and the supernatural community.”
Smiling to let her know I heard her, I push open the door to my temporary room. The whole room is nautical themed. The queen size bed has a blue and white striped comforter with little red anchors and the decorative pillows each have a different sea creature stitched on the front of them.
On the back wall, there is a giant window with a breathtaking view of the ocean. Red curtains are tied back, and I imagine at night they can be untied and closed to keep the morning sun out of my face.
There is a plain white four-drawer dresser beside the window and a matching desk across from the bed with boxes stacked on it. There's not much I had at my old house, mostly just art stuff and clothes.
Opening the door by the bed, I can see my meager amount of worn down clothes hanging up.
There’s one other door by the desk that I find out leads to the bathroom.
The duffle bag from the hospital is folded up in the closet and all my shower supplies have been put in the bathroom along with my toothbrush and what little makeup I own.
Going through the boxes, I'm relieved to see all of my sketchbooks are there along with my collection of charcoal and paints. Someone, I’m guessing Kathy, took the time to wrap all my framed sketches in a newspaper and I could kiss whoever did it.
My art is my life force and being without it would kill me.
There’s also a few half full notebooks and a couple of odd-and-ends I had around my room, like the seashell bracelet one of the girls I watched made me.
I put everything away and store the boxes in the closet.
Once I have that handled, I grab a notebook and make a list of things I need.
Mostly clothes and shoes, but I also note to grab more sketch pads and a few more notebooks.